Cause released in Concord Marina boat fire that injured 4

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Rural Metro Fire Department officials announced crews were on the scene of a boat fire and explosion on Fort Loudoun Lake at Concord Marina Saturday evening June 3.

Around 7:30 p.m., crews responded to a boat fire and explosion at Concord Boat ramp in Knox County. When crews arrived they found a boat on fire in the main channel, and a fire involving a portion of the dock near the fuel pump, and four victims from the explosion suffering from varying range of burns.

Two GoFundMes have been started to support two of the victims. You can find those here and here.

Officers said that the boat burned to the water line and sank and the fire at the dock was extinguished with damage to the concrete pads for the dock. The damage to the dock was estimated to be $25,000.00, according to the marina manager.

The boat exploded after refueling at a gas dock, according to a release from Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

TWRA officials said three people with varying degrees of burns were transported via helicopter to the Vanderbilt Burn Center.

Crews asked people in the area to use another boat ramp for the rest of the evening.

TWRA officials and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Fire Investigation Unit are investigating the cause of the fire.

An investigator with the KCSO said in the report that he believed the explosion started in the engine compartment of the boat. “The gasoline vapors within the engine compartment reached their explosive range when the engine cover was removed, and ignited when either the blower motor was switched on, or by starting the boat with the ignition switch.”

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