Three Yachts Sink After Fire Breaks Out At Sydney’s Spit Bridge Marina

A fire at Spit Bridge Marina in Mosman, on Sydney’s north shore, destroyed three luxury yachts and seriously damaged a fourth in the early hours of Friday morning.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said firefighters were called to the marina at about 3.21am after a fire broke out among vessels berthed at the site.

More than 40 firefighters responded to the incident. The fire spread across several boats and took around two and a half hours to contain. It was fully extinguished by about 8am.

Three large yachts were destroyed by the fire and later sank. A fourth yacht remained afloat but suffered significant damage on its port side.

Four people were treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation at the scene and did not need to be taken to hospital.

The Port Authority of NSW assisted FRNSW by sending four vessels to the marina, including its main firefighting vessel, Girawaa.

The authority explained that Girawaa can pump up to 16,000 litres of seawater per minute over distances of up to 90 metres, providing water output similar to four large fire engines.

The vessel was used to help contain the fire and protect nearby boats and marina structures.

To reduce environmental risks, the Port Authority also deployed two layers of absorbent and containment booms around the sunken vessels.

These were used to contain debris, oil and fuel released during the incident. Pollution response vessels were kept on scene and will continue to patrol the area to recover any remaining pollution.

The Port Authority stated that all pollution from the incident has been contained so far and that the second containment boom was put in place as a precaution.

It added that it is working closely with the marina operator, the Environment Protection Authority, Transport for NSW Maritime, NSW Police and FRNSW to manage environmental risks and support safe salvage operations.

Fire officials said the damage could have been far worse, as the fire threatened many other boats in the marina. Crews were able to stop the blaze from spreading further.

The marina operator will now lead the recovery and salvage of the damaged and sunken yachts in coordination with vessel owners and insurers. Further clean-up work is expected to continue.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, and investigations are underway.

Reference: portauthoritynsw

Source: Maritime Shipping News