Fire at Sponge Docks As Boat Goes Up in Flames

A shrimp boat caught fire at the Tarpon Springs sponge docks on Tuesday night, turning the Anclote River "into a lake of fire," according to the Tampa Bay Times. 

Crews battled the blaze for more than three hours, the Times' story said. The boat that caught fire was at the end of the sponge docks off Dodecanese Boulevard, according to a report by Bay News 9.

More than 5,000 gallons of fuel was believed to have been onboard the vessel.

"Clearwater Fire & Rescue FireBoat responding to large vessel fire at Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks," Richard Riley, the Operations Chief for Clearwater Fire and Rescue reported via Twitter.

The Tampa Tribune reported that multiple other agencies joined the fight to get the fire under control. Those responding included Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, Largo and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The fire reportedly started around 7:40 p.m. on the Skye Marie, the Tribune story said. The boat's owners, Billy and Sue Harris, told reporters they had no idea what started the blaze.

“All I could say it had to be an act of God,” Billy Harris was quoted by the Tribune as saying.

Harris told reporters he does not have insurance and is unsure if he'll be able to return to shrimping.

The Skye Marie began to sink around 10:30 p.m. May 14, the Times reported.

A subsequent fire on the docks was put out before 12:30 a.m., the Times' story said. At that time, the Skye Marie was still burning.

Stay with Tarpon Springs Patch for updates.

See Also:

• Raw video from the scene

Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:21 a.m. May 15 to include additional information.