Fishing boat fire at Rowleys Bay
A fishing captain received minor burns, but the commercial fishing boat he was fueling sustained significant damage when it caught fire just before 2 p.m. Tuesday in the town of Liberty Grove.
The steel-hulled gill net fishing boat owned by Weborg Fisheries was docked near the Rowleys Bay Resort (formerly known as the Wagon Trail Resort).White smoke was coming from inside the boat, and the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove fire department was already putting out the fire, when the Door County Sheriff Department arrived on the scene.
Captain James F. Rice, 38, Ellison Bay, told a sheriff's deputy he was fueling up with diesel fuel and left the nozzle on automatic, then went up on the front of the boat to chip off the ice.
The fuel tank overflowed when the nozzle did not automatically stop, he said. The fuel ran down to a wood stove that was burning and ignited. Rice received minor burns in his attempt to put out the fire.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Safety Detachment in Sturgeon Bay, also responded. Lt. Commander Chris Tantillo said the vessel was stabilized and there were no pollutants to the water. The incident is still under investigation. The state Department of Natural Resources also was called to the scene.
Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Chief Chris Hecht said the fire appeared to be accidental. The scene was cleared by 4 p.m.
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