On Thursday 9 January a fire broke out in Port de la Lave, in the 16th district of Marseilles, France. The fire involved three yachts that were docked in the pier; no injuries were reported.

According to the Marseilles fire brigade, the fire broke out on the Naisca IV, 26.9 metres long, and then spread to the other vessels nearby: the Aldabra, a 22.7 metre yacht, and another yacht yet to be identified, but shorter than 24 metres. The ropes of two yachts then broke and the vessels floated out to sea, complicating fire suppression efforts.

A total of 3 vessels, 19 fire trucks and 63 fire fighters took part and flames were finally quenched in the late evening. Authorities confirmed that the fire, whose cause is unknown, was limited to the three yachts. A floating barrier has been deployed around the area to catch potential pollutants up to 100 metres.

DAMAGED YACHTS

Naisca IV is one of the three yachts involved in the fire in the Marseilles marina. This yacht was built by Italian shipyard, Leopard Yachts, with exterior design by Andrea Bacigalupo. The yacht can host up to 6 passengers and 2 crew members. The Naisca IV has both a fibreglass hull and superstructure.

The second yacht involved is “Aldabra”, launched by OCEA Yachts in March 2011. It has a large saloon behind the bridge, with large windows. Its hull is reinforced for extended navigation and it can reach a maximum speed of 12 knots. it can cover 3100 nautical miles at an average speed of 10 knots.

Video credit: Marins-pompiers de Marseille