Fire and Explosions Engulf Luxury Motor Yacht in Marina del Rey

A 105-ft motor yacht named The Admiral caught fire and sank in Marina del Rey on Wednesday night. The fire was reported to have started around 8:30 p.m. A crew from the Los Angeles County Fire Department fought the blaze while explosions were coming from the burning vessel. According to a CBS News report, two people had been aboard when the fire began, but both got off safely. Fireworks and 1,000 rounds of ammunition were reportedly aboard the boat, which began to sink at around 10:30 p.m.

“The Admiral was heavily involved in flames, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Crews tried to fight the fire both by ground and by water, but it proved difficult to contain,” CBS wrote. Onlookers reported hearing explosions and seeing flames leaping into the air.

The vessel is reported to have been carrying 4,000 gallons of diesel.

This video posted on the Los Angeles magazine Facebook page shows the boat in flames.

Following the incident, a unified command was established to include members of the Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW-OSPR) and a responsible party.

Coast Guard and CDFW-OSPR teams monitored the deployment of approximately 2,000 feet of boom placed around the vessel and affected areas. Crews will continue to monitor the area and work with the Oil Spill Response Organization through the night to assess the extent of impact and continue cleanup efforts.

“We were able to deploy containment and collection equipment as soon as it was safe to do so to mitigate the impacts from the discharge of diesel from the vessel after it became submerged,” Capt. Stacey L. Crecy, the Coast Guard’s federal on-scene coordinator, said in a statement.

“A CDFW-OSPR environmental scientist is on scene working to monitor and limit impacts to environmental resources and sensitive sites,” said Christian Corbo, CDFW-OSPR state on-scene coordinator. “Currently, there are no impacts to environmentally sensitive sites or species.”

Additionally, air monitoring is being conducted within the area. There are currently no reports of a threat to public health.