3 boats catch fire, sink at Little Creek Marina in Norfolk; shipping channel blocked

Three boats moored at Little Creek Marina in Norfolk sank early Monday morning following a fire.

There were a total of nine adults, one child and two dogs aboard the boats when the fire broke out, according to fire department spokesperson Stephanie Ramsey. First responders got them onto the pier safely with no injuries reported.

The Norfolk Fire Department was initially dispatched to the marina in East Beach at 1:19 a.m., and called for support at 1:33 a.m., Ramsey said.

The fire was “pretty large scale,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Kimberly Reaves. It burned for at least 90 minutes, Ramsey said.

One of the boats sank in the channel, causing the Coast Guard to put in place a 500-yard safety zone that has shut down a commercial shipping channel, according to Reaves.

“We shut down the channel in that area because of the obstruction to traffic there,” Reaves said. “So the shipping channel is closed right now and it’ll be reopened once the boat is salvaged from the channel.”

She added that it’s still unclear how one of the boats got out in the channel. The other two sank at the marina. Reaves was unable to provide information about the type of boats that sank.

Investigators have not discovered any sign of pollution as a result of the sunken boats. The Norfolk Fire Department placed booms to prevent hazardous fluids from spreading in the water. The Department of Environmental Quality and Coast Guard continue to monitor the scene.

The Coast Guard is leading the initial investigation.

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com