On March 8 at approximately 10:30 a.m., Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR) responded to a reported yacht fire behind a home. When they arrived, there was heavy smoke and fire from the flybridge of 88-foot Princess M/Y Hot Pursuit, according to local media WSVN 7 News.
FLFR shared that they quickly extinguished the fire in less than an hour and was able to contain the fire and damage to the flybridge. One person was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation but didn’t need to be taken to the hospital. There were no reported injuries.
“[The fire created] heavy smoke and crews put hose lines into action,” Chief Garrett Pingol of FLFR told WSVN. “The crews made quick access to the back before, what we call a deck stretch or a dock stretch, which pulls lines quickly down off of the first arriving fire apparatus and made a quick knockdown from the outside and then boarded the vessel.”
Based on preliminary reports, officials say that the fire was caused by an electrical problem, but an investigation will be done on the cause. Because firefighters were able to maintain the flames, the yacht was not declared a total loss.