2 women dead in Long Beach boat fire
Two people died Saturday and three others were hospitalized after a fire erupted on a boat.
Long Beach firefighters were battling a smoky blaze on a boat near a fuel dock in Alamitos Bay, says the Long Beach Fire Department's Jake Heflin.
The fire broke out around 5:18 p.m. Sunday when the 35-foot boat was at a dock in the 200 block of Marina Drive of Long Beach.
Firefighters said two women died at the scene, while the other victims in the fire, two men and a woman, were taken to the hospital for burn injuries. All people onboard the boat are thought to be in their 60s.
The smoke was impacting residents throughout the east side of Long Beach Saturday.
The dock was near a fire station, Heflin said. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the large, smoky fire that could be smelled by residents throughout the east side of Long Beach and seen throughout the marina area. People near the dock told firefighters they heard and felt an explosion.
Long Beach firefighters on land and in the water were assisted in putting out the well-involved fire by Orange County Fire Authority counterparts, Heflin said. No firefighters were injured.
The wreckage of the boat was towed to an isolation dock to prevent environmental impacts such as leaking fuel, Heflin said.
The investigation into the fatal fire will include reports that the boat was either fueling or had just finished fueling when it burst into flames, he said. Fueling a boat can be dangerous if fumes are not dissipated before the engine is started.
The wreckage was towed to an isolation dock to prevent environmental impacts such as leaking fuel, firefighters said.
