A boat on dry land was destroyed by fire.
A vessel docked at Stones Boatyard on Stewart Avenue next to Miller’s Pub burned Saturday, Nov. 4, and the cause of the fire isn’t yet known.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue was called to the scene at about 9:20 p.m.
“When we arrived on scene, it was a fully involved fire … the whole top of it was burning,” said Karen Fry, fire chief with Nanaimo Fire Rescue.
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The boat, which was undergoing renovation work on the property, is in close proximity to the pub building.
“Our crews protect exposures, which are anything that’s close to the building, with hose lines,” Fry said.
A customer who was at Miller’s Pub said patrons were watching a mixed-martial arts event inside and heard the sound of booms and pops before someone called out that there was a fire.
RCMP assisted with evacuation of the pub.
Fry said four engines were called out and firefighters were at the location for about three hours. The investigation into the fire began Monday morning.
“There’s heavy damage and trying to get onto a boat to investigate is going to be quite difficult, because the top of it’s pretty much demolished,” Fry said.
Capt. Ennis Mond, Nanaimo Fire Rescue’s chief fire prevention officer, said Monday morning he did not know what caused the fire, as he had yet to start his investigation, but the 14-metre long yacht had been at the boatyard since summer.
“It’s been parked here since July, getting the keel redone,” Mond said. “It had run aground and that’s all we know about it so far.”
Mond said he believed the boat is from Nanaimo, but he had yet to talk with its owner.
A sailboat parked next to the yacht also suffered minor damage from the fire.
There are no reports of injuries resulting from the fire.
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