Boats destroyed in Patchogue River fire

Two boats were destroyed by fire and up to four others were damaged Monday afternoon at a Patchogue marina, officials said.

A mechanic was working on the engine of a boat at West Bank Marina and Yacht Club on Baker Place, off River Avenue, at about 1:45 p.m. when a gas leak ignited, according to a police spokeswoman and the marina owner. The fire quickly spread to a second boat that was docked next to it.

Marina owner Michael Bruemmer described it as an explosion. "It went up in a ball of flames," he said of the first boat.

Bruemmer said the mechanic and another person jumped into the water to escape the blaze.

He and another man were trying to save the second boat and untying the last knot when the first boat exploded again, spreading flames to the neighboring boat.

Patchogue Fire Deputy Chief Matt Cordaro, the first emergency responder, said he arrived to find two boats fully engulfed and three or four others with charred or blown windows.

The initial two boats were both 35- to 37-foot motor yachts.

Two Patchogue firefighters suffered minor injuries, fire officials said. There were no other injuries.

Patchogue firefighters extinguished the blaze, spraying from two boats. The fire was declared under control by 2:26 p.m.

Other departments responding included Bayport, Blue Point, Bellport and Hagerman, Pontieri said, plus the Holbrook ambulance team.

"They did a wonderful job in containing what would have been a much larger, more devastating fire," Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said.

With Andrew Strickler

and Gary Dymski