Boats are bursting into flames in South Florida. How common is this?
Last week, two boats in Fort Lauderdale went up in flames.
Friday, six boats were charred at a Sunny Isles Beach dock.
READ MORE: Boat engulfed in flames ignites several vessels at Sunny Isles dock: fire rescue
So, you’ve got to be wondering: Do Florida boaters have no clue how to operate a vessel or is this just a random twist of fate?
As it turns out, boats going up in flames is not uncommon in a state that is saturated with boats, statistics show. While the number of boat fires are trending higher in Fort Lauderdale — the site of another explosion in December, killing a boater who was fueling up at Lauderdale Marina — statewide, they’ve actually decreased over the past five years, according to vessel accidents’ data compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
READ MORE: Boat explodes off the beach in Fort Lauderdale, fire-rescue says
So far, in Fort Lauderdale this year, there have been six boat fires, the city’s Fire Rescue department said. The department’s spokesman, Frank Guzman, noted that “not all these vessel fires had significant damage.”
Last year, there were 15 boat fires in Fort Lauderdale, up from four in 2021, with 11 each in 2022 and 2023, Guzman said.
Florida has more registered boats than any other state
Florida averages about 35 boat fires a year, according to the FWC, which notes in its latest annual report that the state also has more than 1 million registered vessels for recreation, making it “the undisputed ‘Boating Capital of the World.’” (Michigan has the second-most boat owners.)
Over the past five years, boat fire numbers have fluctuated in the state, with 41 in 2020, 37 in 2021, 33 in 2022, and 30 in 2023, the latest data available, the FWC said.
Out of the 685 reportable boat accidents in Florida in 2024, 33 stemmed from fires, 17 involving fuel and 16 caused by other factors. The majority of boat accidents in Florida — 209 — involved vessels hitting fixed objects, according to the FWC.
Gas vapors likely cause of Sea Ray explosion
Fuel was likely the cause of the explosion of a 39-foot Sea Ray cabin cruiser in the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale on Memorial Day. Out of the 15 people on board when a fireball shot out from inside the boat, 11 were hospitalized. The operator of the boat, 29-year-old Joshua Fifi, died days later at the hospital.
READ MORE: Father of four dies after Memorial Day boat explosion off Fort Lauderdale
Fire officials said the blast was likely caused by fuel vapors that ignited a flash fire when the boat was started. The source of the vapors and ignition is under investigation.
It was like “a fireball,” Guzman said.
Boat safety tips
Boating experts stress that boaters must open their engine compartment and turn on the blower fan before starting a boat. The fan, which removes gas fumes or any accumulated gasoline, should be run for three to five minutes. Boats have ventilation switches on the dash panel that should be switched on every time a boat is used.
And, they add, boaters should take a sniff test and smell for any signs of gas vapors before starting a boat.
READ MORE: Two boats exploded off Fort Lauderdale within 5 months. Tips to avoid a similar fate
The FWC is still investigating the cause of a 30-foot boat that went up in flames just off the beach in Fort Lauderdale two days later. There was one person on board, who jumped off the vessel and swam to shore before paramedics took him to the hospital to be treated for injuries.
There have also been damaging boat fires in other parts of South Florida, the most recent a blaze that ended up burning up six boats, including a 90-foot vessel, at a Sunny Isles Beach condominium dock early Friday morning. No one was injured in the fire, which was triggered by one boat going up in flames and the blaze spreading to five other boats.
Authorities are investigating.
Boat fire off Jupiter
The same day the Sea Ray exploded in Fort Lauderdale, a 48-foot fishing yacht caught fire off Jupiter Inlet. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Three people were on board the vessel when it caught fire, the Coast Guard said in a statement on X. They were rescued by other boaters in the area who responded to the scene. No one was hurt, according to the Coast Guard.
And, a May 14 fire at a Tavernier boat yard in the Florida Keys badly damaged several vessels that were dry docked, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published June 6, 2025 at 4:06 PM.
