Lobster boat destroyed by fire in eastern P.E.I.

A lobster boat was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning at Sturgeon wharf in eastern P.E.I.

RCMP say the boat was tied up when the fire began, and crew noticed it when they arrived at the wharf.Police were called at about 4 a.m.

Nobody was injured, but police said some of the crew were treated by paramedics at the scene.

Investigators believe the fire started in the boat's cabin. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but police said it is not considered suspicious. RCMP said the boat was insured.

A boat burned near Sturgeon, P.E.I., on the weekend.

5 years ago

Duration 0:13

Video courtesy of Juanita Graham

The crew set the boat adrift when the fire couldn't be controlled, said Kings County RCMP Sgt. Chris Gunn. Some damage was done to aboat that was tied up beside it.

Firefighters, police and paramedics were at the scene Saturday. A Coast Guard environmental response team was also on-site earlier to clean up any fluids that spilled from the boat.

Gunn said the actions of the crew prevented the fire from being more destructive.

"The fire quickly started to engulf the boat," he said. "The captain was able to free the boat from the dock and they were able to get the boat out of the harbour area to prevent any damage to any further fishing vessels."

The spring lobster fishing season began on P.E.I. on May 3.

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