A boat caught fire at Holiday Hill Marina on the Rhode River Friday evening, and the man who lives aboard the boat is now without a home.
The Anne Arundel County Fire Department says a passerby noticed a 35-40 foot boat, tied up to the pier, on fire around 5 p.m. Friday, January 11. Luckily no one was on board at the time. Firefighters from Anne Arundel County arrived to find the boat “fully involved in fire.” The Annapolis Fire Department also responded, along with firefighters from Woodland Beach, West Annapolis, Riva, and Galesville.
The Anne Arundel County Fire Department says more than three dozen firefighters quickly worked to keep the fire from spreading to surrounding boats. The Woodland Beach Volunteer Fire Department noted there was exposure to one nearby sailboat. Firefighters on the pier used foam and fire boat crews sprayed water, and the combined crews were able to put the flames out.
A 67-year-old man lives aboard the boat. The fire department says he was taken to the hospital with a medical condition unrelated to the fire, and is in good condition. The Red Cross is helping him now that he’s been forced from his home.
Investigators are still trying to determine how, and where exactly, the fire started. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit is asking anyone with information to contact them at 410-222-TIPS(8477) or by filling out the Arson Tip Form here. You can stay anonymous.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
