Firefighters battled a marina fire in frigid temperatures overnight.
At 11:40 p.m. Friday, a 911 call was made by a boat owner reporting his boat was on fire at Big Ridge Yacht Club at 1940 Hixson Marina Road. Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) responded and arrived, reporting two boats on fire.
Dallas Bay VFD Chief Markus Fritts requested the Hamilton County Hazmat Team to respond to assist with containing oil and gas fluids on the water.
Chief Fritts said the boat owner awoke to smoke in the boat cabin. He found smoke coming from an electrical box in a closet. He left the boat to get a fire extinguisher and returned to find the boat involved with fire.
The boat owner immediately released his boat from the dock so the entire dock would not catch fire. Unfortunately, when he cut his boat loose from the dock, his boat traveled close to another boat and caught fire.
Damages to the two boats are listed at $80,000. The boat owners are unknown at this time.
Electrical problems in the boat seem to be the cause of the fire, it was stated.