Three boats have sunk following a fire at a marina on Vancouver Island on Sunday, as reported by the local fire department. Firefighters were alerted to the incident at Van Isle Marina in Sidney, B.C., a town approximately 25 kilometers north of Victoria, shortly after 7:30 a.m. PT. Sidney Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen described the fire as substantial, evident from a significant black plume of smoke visible from a distance. The blaze had engulfed three yachts measuring between 65 to 70 feet upon the firefighters’ arrival.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and no individuals were aboard the vessels at the time of the incident. Crews successfully prevented the fire from spreading to nearby boats, although the three yachts on fire ultimately sank at their slips in the marina. Const. Benje Bartley of the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP mentioned that while investigations are ongoing, there are currently no indications of suspicious activities related to the fire.
According to Mikkelsen, the fire had been burning for around 15 to 20 minutes before emergency services were notified. The Canadian Coast Guard promptly deployed response vessels to address the situation and establish pollution containment measures. The marina has engaged the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation for cleanup operations. The cause of the fire remains unknown as the submerged boats cannot be immediately inspected; however, Mikkelsen anticipates the fire department’s involvement once the vessels are retrieved.
The Environment Ministry of British Columbia confirmed that an environmental response plan will be coordinated by the coast guard leading the response efforts. The ministry also had an emergency response officer present on-site to monitor the situation. Mikkelsen noted some damage to the dock infrastructure due to the fire. Specialized resources, including a marina fire protection trailer equipped with high-powered pumps, were utilized by the Sidney Fire Department to safeguard adjacent boats from the fire. The trailer features custom carts designed to navigate narrow marina structures efficiently. This resource was highlighted as critical due to Sidney’s status as home to two of the largest yacht marinas on the West Coast.