Victoria Firefighters were able to put out a fire on a derelict vessel in the Gorge waterway this afternoon. They were called about 1pm and when they arrived the boat was fully involved, and adrift.
Deputy Chief Fire Chief Dan Atkinson says the boat was destroyed, and is now partially submerged.
Atkinson says the vessel was known to authorities and had been stripped of all fuel, oil and other contaminants. Still, one person was on board when the fire broke out and had to be treated for smoke inhalation:
" There was one individual who was onboard at the time of the fire. He had taken in a fairly significant amount of smoke from all reports. He was taken to shore by our fire boat and was received by BC Ambulance service. He was treated on scene for smoke inhalation and subsequently taken to hospital"
Atkinson says a nearby dock that had propane tanks and other items on it was also damaged in the blaze. While he can't say if the tanks were full or empty, the dock will have to be evaluated for safety concerns.