Blaze sweeps through Florida marina
07-25-2003, 04:42 PM
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Blaze sweeps through Florida marina
Just saw this in the Houston paper online.
Blaze sweeps through Florida marina
Associated Press
DELAND, Fla. -- A fire swept through a marina this morning, critically injuring one person, destroying 25 boats and damaging many other vessels. Another person was missing.
Many of vessels at the Boat Show Marina in DeLand were houseboats, Volusia County fire officials said, and dozens of residents were evacuated. DeLand is about 25 miles north of Orlando.
The cause of the blaze wasn't immediately known.
"When I looked out of my little port hole, I thought everything was on fire around me," boat owner Don Luken said. "All I could see was orange. I walked up to the wheelhouse of the boat and the heat was coming right through my windshield. I could feel it standing four feet back. I grabbed my money, my phone and my dog and we got out of here."
A boat owner was critically injured trying to fight the fire, with third-degree burns to his hand and shoulder and a foot severely injured from stepping on glass, Volusia County spokeswoman Mary Dorn said.
The man was airlifted to a hospital, and a second person was treated at the scene, Dorn said.
Dorn said firefighters saved about 50 boats, but many suffered heat damage such as melted plastic.
Several sinking boats leaked fuel into the St. Johns River, and buoys were placed in the water to catch the spillage, she said.
State fire marshals were on the scene to investigate.
Blaze sweeps through Florida marina
Associated Press
DELAND, Fla. -- A fire swept through a marina this morning, critically injuring one person, destroying 25 boats and damaging many other vessels. Another person was missing.
Many of vessels at the Boat Show Marina in DeLand were houseboats, Volusia County fire officials said, and dozens of residents were evacuated. DeLand is about 25 miles north of Orlando.
The cause of the blaze wasn't immediately known.
"When I looked out of my little port hole, I thought everything was on fire around me," boat owner Don Luken said. "All I could see was orange. I walked up to the wheelhouse of the boat and the heat was coming right through my windshield. I could feel it standing four feet back. I grabbed my money, my phone and my dog and we got out of here."
A boat owner was critically injured trying to fight the fire, with third-degree burns to his hand and shoulder and a foot severely injured from stepping on glass, Volusia County spokeswoman Mary Dorn said.
The man was airlifted to a hospital, and a second person was treated at the scene, Dorn said.
Dorn said firefighters saved about 50 boats, but many suffered heat damage such as melted plastic.
Several sinking boats leaked fuel into the St. Johns River, and buoys were placed in the water to catch the spillage, she said.
State fire marshals were on the scene to investigate.
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