3 rescued from boat blaze on Horsetooth Reservoir
Three people and a dog escaped a boat fire that belched noxious fumes and smoke on the southeast end of Horsetooth Reservoir on Sunday afternoon.
None of the boat's occupants were injured in the blaze, and they were rescued by nearby boats that came alongside the burning craft. They were aboard a 16-foot, 1997 Watercraft boat when they heard a pop in the engine compartment before the fire broke out, according to Poudre Fire Authority.
Multiple boaters called 911 to report the blaze at the popular reservoir west of Fort Collins, with the first call coming in at 11:30 a.m, according to PFA. A park ranger also spotted the fire from the South Bay pavilion, ranger supervisor Devin Neumann said.
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The occupants of the boat declined medical attention following their rescue, though one person reported light smoke inhalation.
"Nobody was hurt," Neumann said. "That's the good thing."
Larimer County Department of Natural Resources rangers and PFA firefighters put out the fire, and EMTs responded to tend to possible injuries.
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Rangers towed the burning boat into the cove near the intersection of Larimer County roads 38E and 23, and firefighters pulled the craft in toward the shore. They carried a hose from the road down to the water's edge and doused the boat until the fire went out. They had control of the fire by about 12:25 p.m., according to PFA.
Sections of the two roads were closed during the operation but have been reopened. While 38E was closed, rangers directed traffic bound for the swim beach and marina to go through Loveland and Masonville instead.
The boat was burned to the water, and only charred remains survived.
The remains of the boat were towed by barge to a dock where it would be loaded onto a trailer and taken to the ranger compound for an investigation into the fire's cause.
This story has a correction. An earlier version stated the boat fire occurred at the northeast end of Horsetooth Reservoir; it was the southeast end.