Photo provided Columbus firefighters work at the scene of a boat fire behind a residence at 2052 McKinley Ave. on Wednesday morning.
Columbus firefighters extinguished a fire in a boat behind a residence at 2052 McKinley Ave. on Wednesday morning.
At approximately 9:50 a.m., as firefighters approached, they saw a large column of thick black smoke coming from the back yard of the home.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found a boat well involved in fire located approximately 25 feet away from the nearest residence, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
Firefighters deployed a hose line to the rear of the residence and began to put out the boat fire. Crews found that the boat contained a cabin and identified that the enclosed cabin area was still actively burning, Wilson said.
Firefighters used a chain saw to create an access hole in the side of the cabin with the intention of improving the ability to apply water into the space. Once open, firefighters found and removed smoldering foam cushions and additional combustible materials and applied additional water throughout the cabin. The fire was fully extinguished within a short time.
Firefighters spoke to the owner of the boat at the scene and learned that the owner was in the process of salvaging parts from the watercraft. The owner told investigators that he was removing the boat’s fuel tank when the flames erupted, Wilson said.
Firefighters determined that residual fuel left in the fuel tank made contact with an ignition source during the demolition and salvage process. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.
In addition to the fire damage of the boat, an adjacent shed-type building was also heavily damaged by fire, Wilson said. No damages were noted to the home. No injuries were reported at the scene.
Agencies that assisted at the scene included the Columbus Police Department and the Columbus Regional Health Ambulance Service.
