Fire Destroys Boat at Commercial Dock

Ventura firefighters on Saturday investigated the cause of a boat fire in a commercial dock of the Ventura Marina that destroyed a 1970s-era, 30-foot boat worth about $8,000.

“We aren’t certain about the cause yet,” said Battalion Chief Bill Rigg of the fire, in which no one was hurt. “But it’s not suspicious; it’s accidental. It was probably an electrical fire.”

Ten firefighters and a handful of police officers and harbor patrol officers responded to the fire on the Carver, a twin inboard engine craft, that began around 11:40 p.m. Friday. Flames were licking at the dock and approaching other boats when the firefighters arrived.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 20 minutes, and harbor patrol staff helped pump water from the boat to keep it from sinking. Nonetheless, the boat is not salvageable.

“It’s a total loss,” Rigg said. “There just isn’t a whole lot of the boat left.”