Cape Cod fire consumes boats and buildings at Mattapoisett shipyard
MATTAPOISETT — A huge fire at a marina turned several boats, buildings and vehicles into burning shells on Friday, producing a plume of black smoke so thick it was picked up by weather radar.
Aerial video taken by WCVB-TV showed much of the Mattapoisett shipyard engulfed in flames, with the blaze apparently limited to buildings and boats ashore. A firefighting vessel could be seen pulled towards the dock, getting as close as possible as it sprayed a jet of water at one of the smoldering sailboats.
“A boat caught fire in one of the sheds, and it came up very, very quickly,” shipyard mechanic Tim Price told WJAR-TV. “Everything went up. I think we lost everything.”
Price said he knew one person who was injured, but did not provide details.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and Mattapoisett Fire and Police Department officials said no one was available for comment. Firefighters from across the region responded to the blaze, including as far away as Providence, Rhode Island, about 30 miles away.
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Drought, fuel fire in high winds
Drought conditions and high winds Friday in the Mattapoisett area had prompted the National Weather Service to issue a high fire danger warning. The marina fire sent thick black smoke over southeastern Massachusetts that could be seen for miles around.
The Weather Service said on Twitter that its radar detected “what is most likely a plume of smoke” in Mattapoisett.
Mattapoisett resident Richard Walker, 72, was riding a motorbike when he spotted the cloud of smoke. He said he could see it 8 kilometers away as he continued his journey.
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“There were flames and black smoke billowing. So much,” Walker said. “Fortunately, it seems a lot of people had their boats in the harbour. There didn’t seem to be too many in the yard.”
Pamela Fleming saw the fire from the back patio of her summer home. She said the blaze knocked out power to the area and forced the closure of a road to a popular beach and lighthouse just beyond the marina.
“The popping sounds of all the fuel and other combustibles exploding were very strange,” Fleming said. “Smoke was billowing aggressively from the area. As soon as it rose, there was more heavy black smoke to take its place.”
Several other people posted images and video of the fire and smoke on social media.
The Mattapoisett Boatyard website states that it has been a family-owned marina since 1962, catering primarily to boaters, and has the capacity to store up to 150 vessels over the summer that are not in use or at rest. sale.
