Boat catches fire near Rowes Wharf in Boston

Firefighters extinguished a blaze that broke out on a boat near Rowes Wharf on Saturday while battling windy conditions and trying to keep the vessel from hitting others in the harbor, officials said.

The boat, estimated to be 24 feet, was not occupied and sank after the fire was put out, according to Brian Alkins, a Boston Fire Department spokesman.

No injuries were reported.

The Boston Odyssey, a 175-foot, four-deck vessel that runs dinner cruises around the harbor, was holding a function and had to be evacuated as the burning boat drifted towards it. Alkins said the boat never struck the Odyssey.

The fire was reported about 7:50 p.m. and responders found the vessel floating in the harbor while engulfed in flames, Alkins said. Officials have not determined what caused the fire, he said.

Marine Unit 2 was able to pull the boat to the dock where companies were waiting to put out the hot spots . pic.twitter.com/ldFhreL0m3

— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) May 30, 2021

The fire department’s marine unit, with help from fire crews with the Massachusetts Port Authority, managed to put a rope on the boat and towed it to the docks outside the John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse, where land crews continued working to put out the flames, Alkins said.

The fire was extinguished by 8:45 p.m., he said.

Crews were still on the scene late Saturday working to contain fuel that leaked from the boat. Alkins said the department was putting booms in the harbor to corral the leaked fluids. He said the booms are provided by the state Department of Environmental Protection.