A fire Tuesday morning destroyed a yacht at a yard adjacent to the Rivera Beach City Marina, filling the area with thick smoke and delaying the return of a cruise ship to the Port of Palm Beach, authorities said at midday.
No one was hurt, interim Riviera Beach Fire Chief John Curd said.
Firefighters were called at about 5:30 a.m. to the fire at the Cracker Boy Boat Works, where they found “active flames” coming from inside the boat, Curd said.
He said firefighters decided the boat was lost and did not want to pour water directly on it for fear of causing the jacks supporting it to collapse. They turned their attention to saving other boats just feet away. Curd said those boats, which were covered in wrap, appear undamaged, although they will be inspected for heat and smoke effects. Curd said it was close to 11 a.m. before the fire was under control, but firefighters still were attacking hot spots and “it will burn for six hours.”