Chaos erupted at Marina del Rey on Wednesday night as a 100-foot yacht, packed with fireworks and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition, went up in flames, according to KTLA. The Los Angeles County Fire Department rushed to the scene in Basin A after receiving the call at around 8:30 P.M. Bystanders and nearby residents witnessed the terrifying display as explosions were heard, and the vessel, named The Admiral, was engulfed in heavy flames.
Despite the inferno, two passengers aboard managed to escape, one suffering a minor cut to the arm, reported ABC7. Firefighters on the ground and boats aggressively battled the blaze to prevent it from spreading to nearby docks and other vessels, while also facing the challenge of not sinking the yacht due to the water they were using to extinguish the fire.
The situation was complicated by the ammunition said to be stored on the yacht, with live rounds potentially being set off by the heat. "According to boat owner 1,000 rounds of unspent ammunition and fireworks onboard,'' the county fire department said in a statement obtained by NBC Los Angeles. This made the task even more perilous for the fire crews, who continued their efforts amidst the unpredictable and volatile circumstances.
Ultimately, the combined weight of the water and the damage from the flames caused The Admiral to list and eventually capsize just before 10:30 p.m., a scene captured by Sky5 and stated by KTLA. In the aftermath, environmental concerns rose to the forefront. The U.S. Coast Guard initiated cleanup efforts, dealing with the resulting fuel spillage from the vessel, which contained about 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel, “What we do know is that the vessel capacity was 6,000 gallons. We do know that they fueled up with 4,000 gallons of diesel, but we still do not know how much fuel discharged out into the environment and how much remains still in the vessel," Lt. Cmdr. Omar Borges told CBS Los Angeles.
As the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, there have been no reported injuries apart from the aforementioned minor cut. Officials are working on strategies to address the sunk yacht and the environmental impact, while the cleanup operation is expected to take several days.
