A firefighter suffered injuries described as minor while battling a fire that broke out in the engine room of a 165-foot yacht in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday evening, and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Firefighters had to make their way down into the vessel's lower compartment to reach the flames, a tight and dangerous position for any crew working an active blaze.
According to WPLG Local 10, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue reported that crews responded shortly after 5:30 p.m. Saturday to the 2500 block of State Road 84, where the yacht was docked. The outlet, citing Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, reported the injured firefighter was hurt while extinguishing the fire and suffered what the department described as minor injuries. Firefighters ultimately extinguished the blaze, per the same report.
A Boatyard Strip With a History of Major Fires
The address sits along what's widely known as Fort Lauderdale's “Marina Mile,” a dense, world-renowned maritime corridor along the New River lined with shipyards, repair facilities, and marine supply hubs, according to Minted Yachts. That stretch of State Road 84 has seen catastrophic yacht fires before. In November 2019, more than 60 firefighters and three fire boats spent five hours extinguishing a pre-dawn blaze at Universal Marine Center that destroyed two yachts valued at more than $20 million, per Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. And in January 2015, at least 45 firefighters responded to a fire at Yacht Management Marina that engulfed two tied-together vessels carrying more than 1,500 gallons of fuel, according to Yachting Magazine.
Engine room and cabin fires aboard vessels carry particular hazards: fiberglass hulls burn rapidly and produce dense, toxic smoke, according to maritime safety guidelines published by Eldean Shipyard. Crews on Saturday made their way down into the yacht's lower compartment to reach the flames.
Not the First Engine Room Fire on a Fort Lauderdale Superyacht
This wasn't the first time in recent memory that Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue has tackled an engine room fire on a large yacht. In January 2025, the department responded to a similar blaze aboard a 100-foot yacht docked along Southeast 17th Street, deploying two city fire boats and a county fire boat to put out the flames within 20 minutes without any injuries, Hoodline previously reported.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue operates specialized marine rescue and firefighting units.
The Stakes for a Global Yachting Hub
Marinas and boatyards nationwide, including those along Marina Mile, are part of the maritime industry. Fort Lauderdale is one of the world's premier hubs for superyacht maintenance and refitting, according to Minted Yachts.
The cause of Saturday's fire had not been determined as of the initial report, and the name and ownership of the 165-foot yacht were not disclosed. The firefighter was reported to have suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. Local 10 News reported that staff writer Andrea Torres authored the report, with Sofia Mendez, a Local 10 News assignment editor, contributing.
