Yacht Club Fire Engulfs Boats, Sends Mother, Child To Jacobi

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — On any given day, firefighters in New Rochelle could be called on to respond to an emergency rescue at a skyscraper, a pileup on one of the nation's busiest highways or a fire at a building that predates many modern building codes — but this weekend, the department faced a challenge that tapped a different kind of specialized training.

At 12:45 a.m on Saturday, the New Rochelle Fire Department was dispatched to the Imperial Yacht Club for a boat fire.

Calls had begun to come in to 911 moments earlier.

Firefighters on the way saw heavy smoke in the area from a distance.

Officials soon decided it would be better to initiate a fire attack from across the water at Town Dock Road, off Pelham Road.

As crews began to fight the flames, they were informed that there was a mother and a school-aged child in a car, who had been on one of the boats, in need of medical attention. After initial aid from NRFD, an ambulance rushed the mother and child to Jacobi Hospital.

Fire boats and the New Rochelle Harbormaster arrived on the scene and worked to coordinate the fleet. As burning boats began to drift across Davenport Neck, additional units were deployed to Imperial Yacht Club on Davenport Avenue, according to fire officials.

Firefighters said the objective of the fire fight from the docks was to prevent radiant heat from causing neighboring boats to ignite, some of which were just 2 feet away.

Despite the unusual challenges, the New Rochelle Fire Department had all fires under control in approximately two hours, saving dozens of boats in the process.

Port Washington Marine Unit from Long Island answered a call for assistance and had a "positive impact on operations. The New Rochelle Police Harbor Unit and FDNY Marine Unit also responded.

In all, seven boats total were destroyed.

"Despite below freezing temperatures, New Rochelle firefighters worked for three hours to contain the fire and prevent further spread," NRFD officials said in a statement posted on social media. "Later in the operation, Port Washington Fire Department arrived with their fire boat and provided assistance in extinguishing the remaining hot spots. Our thoughts are with the two people who were taken to the hospital, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery."

The New Rochelle Harbormaster is working with the US Coast Guard and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to address the spill of fuel and other contaminants into the water, as well as the salvage of the destroyed boats.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.