Two boats caught fire Wednesday morning at Anchorage Marina in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood on the southeast side of the harbor, and someone had to be rescued from aboard one of the boats.
Fellow boaters in the area heard the first reports on VHF Channel 16 around 8:45 a.m. and 911 was called. The Coast Guard says a good Samaritan reported hearing a popping sound just before the fire.
Initially one vessel was reported to be involved, with fire spreading to at least one other boat. The Baltimore City Fire Department responded with the 85-foot steel Fire Boat No. 1 John R. Frazier along with one of its fire rescue boats. The Coast Guard launched a 45-foot Response Boat and Baltimore firefighters boarded to continued their efforts to extinguish the fire.
One person was aboard one of the boats engulfed in flames, but was rescued by the fire department and Maryland Natural Resources Police.
People living and walking along the Canton waterfront promenade spotted large flames and heavy smoke coming from the marina, like Pat Lundberg, who shared this video with us:
Chesapeake Bay Magazine content partner Captain Boomies shared video of the dock where the fire was centered. You can see a large powerboat charred as firefighters get the flames under control.
The fire was out within a couple of hours. After the fire was extinguished, one of the affected vessels sank due to damage and water, with an unknown amount of diesel fuel on board.
Maryland Department of the Environment crews deployed a containment boom to mitigate pollution effects. Coast Guard pollution responders remain on scene Wednesday afternoon to monitor the situation and assist with cleanup efforts.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined and is still under investigation, according to the fire department and the Coast Guard.
