AN UNLICENSED narrowboat belong to a Bargee Traveller has been set alight, writes Kelvin Alexander-Duggan.
This had been mooring illegally under the March bypass bridge over the old river Nene and was set alight on Monday evening (24th July).
Enforcement action
The owner of the narrowboat is the subject of ongoing enforcement action by the Middle Level Commissioners for failing to produce valid insurance, boat safety documents and not having a navigation licence. The owner had refused repeatedly to engage with the MLC officials, instead hiding whenever an official turned up to the boat.
The fire was seen by boaters moored at Foxes Marina (only a few hundred feet downstream of the bridge) at just before 8pm on Monday evening when a flash of flame was seen coming from the front of the boat then with the flames spreading across the underside of the bridge where the boat was located.
Two fire engines quickly arrived from March fire station and the fire was soon under control with crews taking great care in case of gas bottles being onboard. The fire was put out and the remains of the inside damped down. It is believed that at least one person has been injured when an ambulance arrived at 8.40pm.
Waterlogged
After moving the waterlogged narrowboat away from the underside of the bridge they moored it to the north-side river bank. Crews left the scene at 9.40pm and returned to the station and their now cold uneaten supper. The by-pass was soon reopened allowing people to get home, Other than the weight limited bridge in March, where there are major roadworks in Broad Street, it is a number of miles to the next road bridge over the river in either direction.
The narrowboat was removed by the owner before staff from the Middle Level Commissioners arrived to remove and impound it in the Middle Level Commissioners depot yard next to the marina. As was the case with another illegally moored narrowboat that was set alight a mile east of Kings Delph on Kings Dike it was after the engine and other heavy items had been removed before the fire.
It is not known at the current time where the narrowboat is located other than that it has not left the Middle Level via either Stanground or Salter Lode locks.
Like to speak to owner
Engineers from the Highways Department of Cambridgeshire County Council have also been on scene to examine the underside of the bridge where the fire was. There is some concern that there may be damage within the concrete bridge beams from the heat of the fire. County Hall would like to speak to the owner of the boat.
As to the cause of the fire, there is little detail. But shortly before the fire, three teenagers were seen messing with the boat. The rear door of the boat had been forced open a few days before. Local boaters had noted a whiff of petrol coming from the narrowboat when they passed either on the cycle route or on the river.