MIAMI – Two boats that were docked at the Grove Isle Club & Resort in Miami erupted in flames Tuesday morning.
According to Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez, the fire was reported just before 7:30 a.m. at 3 Grove Isle Drive.
Video sent to Local 10 News by Jessica Musick shows heavy flames coming from the boats as firefighters used a hose to douse the flames with water.
Sanchez said both boats were “fully engulfed in flames at the dock” when firefighters arrived.
“Immediately, the incident was upgraded to a Code 1 working fire, dispatching additional resources, including the Miami Fireboat and the Miami Hazardous Materials Team,” Sanchez said in an email to Local 10 News. “Firefighters quickly deployed hose lines and initiated an aggressive fire attack, coordinating a foam operation to help contain and suppress the blaze.”
Some people who live in nearby buildings overlooking the small private island that sits in Biscayne Bay recorded cellphone video of the blaze.
“I woke up around like 7:30 or 6, and I just saw like a big smoke coming out, so I went down to see if it was my boat,” Levi Diaz said.
According to Sanchez, the fire was brought under control within 10 minutes.
He said two adjacent boats sustained “radiant heat damage to their exterior sides,” but no interior damage was reported.
Sanchez confirmed that the boats destroyed in the fire ranged from 30 to 40 feet in length, while the two nearby boats that sustained exterior damage measured between 26 and 36 feet.
“I thought it was going to spread to someone who I know -- their boat -- and that’s why I went down right away. It could’ve been way worse,” Diaz said.
The Miami Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause of the fire. The U.S. Coast Guard was also called to the scene.
No injuries were reported.