In the early hours of the morning Thursday, a boat caught fire in Aurora Harbor while its owner was away, Capital City Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Tod Chambers said.
According to a statement from CCFR, the 27-foot Sun Yacht sailboat sustained an estimated $3,500 in damage after an electrical fire began in the sail locker. The boat was not insured, according to the statement. The statement was released after an investigation done by the fire marshals.
The owner, Chambers said, was not present and there were no reported injuries.
People in the area spotted flames coming from the sailboat, Chambers said, and called for help just after 3 a.m. Then, bystanders sprung into action.
Chambers said people in the area gathered dry chemical fire extinguishers and ran over to the boat, which is called Amber and is located on the N float in the harbor. They also used buckets of water, Chambers said. They knocked down the fire, Chambers said, and when CCFR personnel arrived on the scene there were no flames.
Chambers said there was still quite a bit of smoke, and there were still some so-called “hot spots” where the fire was not totally out. Chambers said the owner was not a live-aboard, but was working his way toward becoming one.
