A small electrical fan might have been the cause of a fire that destroyed 13 boats at Creekwood Marina in Hendersonville, Tenn.
The fire broke out about 10:30 a.m., Wednesday. Hendersonville fire marshall Joe Bowman said fire officials have identified the boat where the blaze began. However, he says, the boat burned down to the hull and sank to the bottom of Old Hickory Lake. They will not be able to determine an exact cause until they examine the boat.
He said the fire might have been caused by a small electrical fan that was left running at all times. No one had been on the boat for three or four days before the fire, he said.
A total of 13 boats were destroyed, and another 12 to 15 boats received minor damages from the heat and ash created by the fire. Fire officials estimate the cost of the damages to be between $1.5 million and $2 million, he said.
Firefighters finally gained control of the marina fire around 2:30 p.m. Officials said the fire proved hard to contain because of propane gas tanks used for heating on the boats. Also, three of the burning boats broke loose from the dock and drifted across the channel, running aground and causing a grass fire nearby.
Some firefighters received minor radiant heat burns, but there were no other injuries reported. An engine company remained on the scene throughout the night and suppressed at least six separate flare-ups, Bowman said.
