Another stove boat fire

HARD on the heels of the news of the narrowboat burnt out on the Macclesfield Canal comes news of another boat fire caused by a stove overheating.

This time it was described as a 'motor launch', with firefighters called to the boat that was '50 per cent' alight when they arrived at the scene, Rob McLean of the Boat Safety Scheme tells us.

Homeless

It was a residential boat, with its owner now homeless, and the Fire and Emergency Support Service called to the incident to help the man. It was not on the inland waterways but at Maldon at Downs Road Marina, next to the Chelmer & Blackwater harbour

The Station Officer of Maldon Fire Station, Martin Cable, related that the cause of the fire was bedding catching alight from an overheated stove when the chimney caught fire.

Not plastic

As it was only the interior of the boat that was destroyed, it was obviously not of plastic construction, otherwise the boat would have been completely destroyed.

The owner was already off the boat when the fire service arrived.