Two women were killed and two men and a woman were hospitalized with burns Saturday when a 35-foot pleasure boat burst into flames at a fuel dock in the Alamitos Bay, on the eastern side of Long Beach.
The fire was reported at 5:17 p.m. at the dock in the 200 block of Marina Drive, Long Beach firefighter Jake Heflin told City News Service.
All of the dead and injured were in their 60s, he said.
The dock was near a fire station, Heflin said. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the large, smoky fire that could be smelled by residents throughout the east side of Long Beach and seen throughout the marina area. People near the dock told firefighters they heard and felt an explosion.
Long Beach firefighters on land and in the water were assisted in putting out the well-involved fire by Orange County Fire Authority counterparts, Heflin said. No firefighters were injured.
The wreckage of the boat was towed to an isolation dock to prevent environmental impacts such as leaking fuel, Heflin said.
The investigation into the fatal fire will include reports that the boat was either fueling or had just finished fueling when it burst into flames, he said. Fueling a boat can be dangerous if fumes are not dissipated before the engine is started.