Boat fire burns next to eastern Columbus home

Columbus firefighters battled a blaze in a boat that was being salvaged near a city home today.

According to reports from the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to a reported vehicle fire in the 2000 block of McKinley Avenue at about 9:50 this morning. They discovered a fire burning in a boat about 25 feet from the nearest home.

After first attempting to put out the fire with a hose line, firefighters discovered that the fire continued inside the boat’s cabin. It couldn’t be extinguished until they cut a hole in the side and removed burning seat cushions and other materials. After removing those, they were able to extinguish the fire with water.

The owner said that he was in the process of salvaging parts from the boat. He was removing the fuel tank when it contacted an ignition source and caught on fire.

A nearby shed was also heavily damaged in the fire. No one was injured and the fire was determined to be accidental.

Photo: Photo courtesy of Columbus fire Department.