Multiple Boats, Dock Catch Fire In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — Multiple boats, as well as a dock and a floating tiki bar, caught fire Saturday afternoon in Stamford.

In a statement, Deputy Chief Eric Lorenz said firefighters responded to the Hinckley Boat Yard on Selleck Street around 3:30 p.m. and discovered a "fully involved boat fire" at the gas dock there.

As crews worked to put out the fire, prevailing winds pushed the boat to the east side of the canal, Lorenz said. In response, Lorenz ordered firefighters to respond to the east side of the canal on Harbor Point Road. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

The on-fire boat then came to rest at a section of dock behind the Beacon Harbor Point apartments, causing the dock, three additional boats and a floating tiki bar to catch fire, according to Lorenz.

Firefighters attacked the blaze from the water and land utilizing hose lines and fire boats. Two of the boats continued to drift south in the canal but were corralled approximately 200 feet from the main body of fire, Lorenz said.

"The original boat's fuel tank ruptured and caused a floating fuel fire at the southern section of the dock at Harbor Point," Lorenz said. "This second fire severely exposed the northernmost dock and additional boats moored at the Ponus Yacht Club."

Additional crews worked to extinguish the flames on Pacific Street, Lorenz said. The second fire was quickly controlled and crews used firefighting foam to extinguish all remaining fire on the involved boats and douse the leaking fuel.

A total of 35 fire department personnel responded to the fire, which was brought under control around 5 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Lorenz said.

Marine units from the Norwalk and Noroton fire departments and the Greenwich Police Department, as well as FDNY Marine 4 from New York City, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and units from other agencies all responded to the area to assist Stamford firefighters.