A man working on his boat's engine near Stuart suffered severe burns Wednesday morning after fuel in the bilge area flashed on him, sending about five gallons of gasoline into the water and prompting a hazardous materials response. Fire Rescue crews were called just before 9:30 a.m. to the 2700 block of Northwest Howard Creek Lane in the North River Shores area, where the man was found with traumatic injuries and burns to his arms.
According to tcpalm.com, the man was working on the engine of his boat when fuel in the bilge area flashed on him, burning him before Fire Rescue arrived. He was taken to the hospital with those injuries, and the outlet reports the boat appeared to be located on a canal connected to the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. Separately, WPEC reported that Martin County Fire Rescue described the same sequence, saying firefighters responded to the boat fire after fuel flashed in the bilge area.
Gasoline Spill Triggers State Notification
Roughly five gallons of gasoline entered the water during the incident, which led responders to notify the State Watch Office. Fire Rescue's hazardous materials team was on scene assessing the gasoline, the same account notes, while officials said no other boats or structures were in danger from the fire itself. The State Fire Marshal was also on scene investigating the cause of the fire, though the exact ignition source had not been determined as of Wednesday.
What Causes a Boat Flash Fire
A flash fire like the one described in Stuart is a sudden, intense fire caused by igniting a mixture of air and a dispersed flammable substance such as gasoline vapor, according to theensign.org. The publication notes that about 8 percent of onboard boat fires are flash fires caused by fuel leaks, even though most boat fires stem from electrical problems. It also recommends running a boat's bilge blower for five minutes after refueling and checking for lingering fuel vapor before starting an engine, precautions meant to clear exactly the kind of vapor buildup that can flash without warning.
Other Boat Fires Have Caused Mass Injuries
Flash fires aboard boats have produced far more severe outcomes elsewhere. A flash fire erupted on a 39-foot Sea Ray in the Intracoastal Waterway near Fort Lauderdale on Memorial Day 2025, severely injuring 11 people among the 15 aboard, as reported by the Sun-Sentinel. Ten of those patients, including two children, were later taken by ambulance to the Miami Burn Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and officials said the fireball was caused by fuel vapors igniting, though investigators did not determine what ignited them or where the vapors came from. In a separate case described by theensign.org, a Maryland boat flash fire injured 13 of the 18 people aboard, with four still hospitalized with severe burns two weeks later.
The cause of Wednesday's fire near Stuart remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal, and no additional details on the man's condition or identity have been released.
