Boat fire off Florida Keys prompts diesel fuel cleanup

A 100-foot boat caught fire Wednesday off of one of the Florida Keys leaving a burned-out hull and a massive diesel fuel cleanup.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the fire and is now assisting in that effort.

According to a press release, the 100-foot La Dolce Vita caught fire Tuesday near Marquesas Keys. All six people aboard the vessel were able to safely escape.

A Coast Guard crew from Key West responded and helped escort the passengers to safety. The vessel’s fuel tank holds as much as 4,500 gallons of diesel fuel. It’s unclear how much fuel was discharged.

“Right now, the Coast Guard’s main concern is the environmental threat,” said Chief Petty Officer Thomas Goggans, Coast Guard Sector Key West incident management supervisor. “The location of the fuel spill is within a National Marine Sanctuary and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge.”

The owner of the vessel has accepted responsibility for the cleanup and a commercial salvage crew was deployed to the scene on Wednesday.

While it appears the fire started on the starboard generator, the cause of the fire is under investigatin.

Cox Media Group