Boat burns on bay

SANDUSKY — Sandusky firefighters battled a boat fire on the bay Tuesday morning. Just before 8 a.m., first responders were called to the Meigs Street Pier for the report of a boat fire. Upon arriving, they found a 38-footer engulfed in smoke and flames. Firefighters drove their truck onto the pier and drafted water out of the bay to spray on the burning hull. The department's boat was also called into service to help extinguish the flames. The boat's operator told fire officials that he was docked at a First Street marina and ran the boat's engine for about 45 minutes in preparation to sail it to a Broadway Street marina to be taken out of the water for the season. While underway, the operator said he noticed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, and when he opened the hatch, he saw flames, according to Sandusky fire Chief Mario D'Amico. Eventually, the smoke became too much for the operator, and he ran the boat onto the rocks at the Meigs Street pier and jumped off. He did not report any injuries. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters did not see any fuel in the water but alerted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Tim Jonovich, executive director of Erie County's Emergency Management Agency, D'Amico said. No firefighters were injured battling the blaze.