WESTPORT — The Westport Fire Department had its hands full Monday morning when a series of unfortunate events resulted in four vessels and two separate docks catching fire.

Lieutenant Keith Nickelson said crews were called out to the Drift Road side of the Westport River just after 5:30 a.m. on July 5 by someone who spotted a fire from across the river's East Branch.

 

It started on a dock with a jet ski, Nickelson said, although it's unclear if the fire originally came from the jet ski itself or from something else on the dock.

He said the fire engulfed both the jet ski and a small powerboat next to it.

Courtesy Westport Fire Department
Courtesy Westport Fire Department
loading...

Then the jet ski broke loose from the dock, and floated with the outgoing tide down to another dock nearby, where it caught the second dock and another powerboat on fire, Nickelson said.

Get our free mobile app

 

In a knock-on domino effect, the second boat drifted into another one, which also broke loose and continued downriver while alight.

Courtesy Westport Fire Department
Courtesy Westport Fire Department
loading...

Luckily, Nickelson said, crews from the fire department and harbormaster's office were able to put out the fire and land the third boat safely on the shore before anything else was damaged.

In total, three boats and a jet ski caught fire, along with two docks.

 

"It was interesting," Nickelson laughed. "What a way to wake up!"

No injuries were reported during the incident, which lasted a little over an hour.

Courtesy Westport Fire Department
Courtesy Westport Fire Department
loading...

 

"We had the fires out pretty quick," said Nickelson. "And then we still made it to the 4th of July parade!"

 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

It's Illegal to Spark a Bonfire in These 22 Massachusetts Communities

There's nothing better than lighting up a nice bonfire on a warm summer night. But depending on where you live in Massachusetts, it actually could be illegal to do just that. Naturally, there are exceptions to every rule, and bonfires being used for outdoor cooking are allowed, but exceptions aside, 22 cities and towns across the Bay State have prohibited open burning year-round because they're just too densely-built and populated for burning to be considered safe. Is your community on the list?

The SouthCoast's Hottest Jobs During a Heatwave

When temperatures soar above 90 degrees, most of rush to turn on the air conditioning at work. But some don't have that luxury. Here are some of the toughest jobs to have during a SouthCoast heatwave.

 

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420