Large, black plumes of smoke were sent billowing into the sky from a fire that destroyed two boats at a Richmond marina Monday.
Flames broke out on a 27-foot fishing vessel around 3:30 p.m., quickly spreading to an 18-foot boat that was moored nearby.
"We just noticed the smoke and proceeded to the other side of the marina and saw the back of the boat was in flames," said Tully Waisman, manager of the Vancouver Marina on River Road.
Two other vessels were damaged from the fire's heat, Waisman said.
As firefighters were trying to extinguish the blaze, the flames burned through the mooring rope and the fishing boat drifted between the Moray and Bridgeport Road bridges, halting traffic for some time.
"We're very relieved that no one was injured or hurt at all," Waisman said.
The boat has yet to be salvaged from the Fraser River but once it has, firefighters will be able to begin their investigation.
Officials said the fire department, police and Coast Guard are working on the next steps.
"Investigators haven't been able to get on the boat yet because it hasn't been on a safe location for anybody to access it. Until that happens, we won't have a chance to get on it and to do full cause and origin investigation," explained Deputy Fire Chief Jim Wishlove.
The marina manager said the boat's owner moored it Sunday night and it wasn't used Monday before the fire.
