The Sooke Fire Rescue Service responded to a boat fire at Salty Towers dock around 7 p.m. on May 21.
The fire was located around the engine compartment of the 24-foot-long pleasure boat, causing extensive damage to the deck of the vessel and some fire and smoke damage to the interior.
Fire Chief Sorensen said the boat was well-enveloped in flames when firefighters arrived.
In order to put out the fire, fire crews had to manoeuvre the fire truck down a windy driveway and lay out 550 feet of hose to reach the burning boat.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but Sorensen said an electrical short circuit is suspected to be the cause.
The coast guard was then called in for assistance, and the boat was hauled to the Public Boat Launch at the Prestige Hotel to be removed from the water by the owner.
“We didn’t know if it was going to sink or not,” Sorensen said.
According to Russ Nix, coxswain in training with the Sooke Coast Guard Auxiliary, electrical problems do happen from time to time.
