A fast-moving blaze ripped through several boats near the Tampa Yacht & Country Club on yesterday, sending a thick plume of smoke sweeping across Old Tampa Bay and triggering alarms in nearby neighborhoods. People onshore and out on the water pulled out their phones to capture the flames as emergency crews rushed into the marina.
Video shared by WTSP shows multiple docked vessels engulfed in fire and a heavy column of smoke towering over the yacht club. The outlet reports the incident unfolded near the Tampa Yacht & Country Club, that no one was aboard the burning boats, and that the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Crews attacked the blaze from land and water
Tampa Fire Rescue arrived within minutes and mounted a marine attack, using a fireboat to supply water while firefighters fought the flames from both the docks and nearby boats. According to FOX 13, those suppression efforts caused at least one vessel to take on water and sink, and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted at the scene. Officials told FOX 13 there were no injuries.
Where it happened and what comes next
The blaze broke out along the club’s waterfront at 5320 Interbay Blvd., the address listed on the Tampa Yacht & Country Club website. Club officials and local authorities say salvage operations and an official investigation are expected as crews work to secure the marina, and FOX 13 reports investigators will be looking closely at boat systems and any potential fuel leaks.
