HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- No injuries have been reported in a large fire at the Richmond Yacht Basin on Hoke Brady Road in eastern Henrico.
Firefighters in Henrico and Chesterfield responded to the fire which has damaged 12 to 15 boats and a boat shed, Henrico Fire spokesman Capt. Taylor Goodman said.
Firefighters said a man called 911 saying his boat was on fire at 7 a.m. The fire spread and triggered a massive response, with dozens of men working to extinguish the flames.
Boat Owner: I'm just at a total loss'
Mark Amrhein watched his home away from home -- a 1947 Matthews – burn in the fire Friday morning.
“It definitely started down there because the roof just fell in,” Amrhein said.
Amrhein's father, who died from cancer last year, helped him build the antique boat.
“I took it out for Mother's Day. He was too sick to go,” Amrhein remembered.
Millie Oakley lost her 42-foot 1967 Trojan in the blaze.
"I'm just at a total loss,” Oakley said. “We were planning to take it to the Keys to Florida next year, but that's not going to happen."
Boats floated away
Some of the burning boats stayed moored, while others floated down stream.
Firefighters continued to working to bring the fire under control as of 9 a.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
That investigation could last several days, according to Goodman. He said it was too early to determine whether the fire was arson or an accident.
The boat operated by the Henrico Fire Department was one of the boat moored at the shed. It suffered extensive damage in the fire, Goodman said.
This is a developing story. Anyone with additional information can submit a news tip here.
