Two boats charred, building destroyed when fire breaks out at marina on Miami River

At least two boats were charred and a building was gutted when a fire broke out Tuesday evening at a marina and storage facility on the Miami River.

When Miami Fire Rescue crews arrived, there was thick black smoke and flames “shooting up 20 feet,” Fire Capt. Ignatius Carroll said.

“It was a pretty intense fire,” he said.

The fire broke out just after 6 p.m. at at Popeye Marina, 830 NW Eighth St. Rd. on the Miami River.

Carroll said that two men were doing electrical and engine work on a boat that was inside the facility and then went to wash their hands. When they came back they saw the fire.

The men tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, Carroll said, but the blaze was too strong.

Miami fire crews including the Hazardous Materials Team and a fire boat responded. It took nearly two hours to quell the flames, Carroll said.

Crews were forced out of the building when the ceiling collapsed and the side walls began to crack.

“It was a challenge because it was difficult for firefighters to reach the fire that was on the waterside,” he said.

No one was injured. While the two boats and building were destroyed, Carroll said, other boats in the yard suffered heat damage.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Tuesday night.