Fire destroys two yachts in Ft. Lauderdale

An early morning fire on Tuesday 20th January destroyed two superyachts at New River Marina, Ft. Lauderdale. It does not appear that anyone was hurt.

Destroyed were the Lady Lex, a 78-foot Azimut boat, and a 75-foot Sunseeker called "It's About Time,”. The boats had a market value of more than $1 million each.

Judging by the condition of the vessels as the flames were extinguished; the fire appears to have started on board the newer model yacht It's About Time.

Workers in the Bradford Marine shipyard were alerted to the fire after hearing pops and cracks. Others who live nearby were alerted by the sirens of more than a half dozen fire rescue vehicles rushing to the marina.

Jeff Lucas, Fort Lauderdale fire rescue fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire and once the yachts are ashore, he'll be able to conduct a thorough investigation. Boat owners' private insurers will also analyse what happened.

The Fort Lauderdale police department's arson detectives are participating in the investigation also ;Detective DeAnna Greenlaw said, “Nothing suspicious has been found, but it is a fluid and ongoing investigation."

Thick black smoke from the burning fiberglass yachts was visible for miles. By 10:30 a.m., and although the fires were extinguished,  firefighters continued to douse the smouldering yachts with foam.