A luxury California yacht packed with fireworks and 1,000 rounds of ammunition erupted in a fiery inferno before sinking in Marina del Rey on Wednesday night.
The Admiral, a 100-foot ship with two diesel engines, was docked in the man-made harbor when it burst into flames, prompting a large-scale response from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Just two hours after catching fire, the nearly million-dollar boat sank in the 800-acre marina five miles south of Santa Monica.
Two people escaped the fire without injuries, the fire department said.
Witnesses captured the flames engulfing the 100-foot yacht as fireworks lit up the black smoke and flew across the sky.
Efforts to extinguish the flames appeared successful from the outside, but the fire burning inside appeared to be resistant to water hoses as the blaze continued to destroy the interior. according to KTLA.
Dozens of first responders and intrigued community members watched the downed boat in the marina as crews continued to spray the wreckage with water.
Neighbors began to fear the fire could spread to nearby boats and potentially trigger a chain reaction.
“I saw it completely engulfed in flames and like a lot of us who live here, I heard an explosion and saw fireworks coming out of there, and more flames and then I came down here and videotaped it,” said resident Lynn Rose. told NBC Los Angeles.
The ship was reportedly being fueled by a propane source, which “complicated” efforts to extinguish the fire. Authorities installed a floating physical barrier known as a boom to prevent debris, including diesel fuel, from polluting the waters.
It began to list to one side, forcing authorities to evacuate all passengers from the dock. The destroyed yacht sank at around 10:30 p.m. as the fire continued to burn below deck.
Authorities did not say how the fire started as of Thursday morning.
The Admiral, built by Broward Marine in 1986, featured four staterooms including the master suite, could accommodate 10 guests with three crew members and was last listed in 2018 for $985,000, according to International Ship.
Before its destruction in flames, the ship could reach a top speed of 18 knots (20 mph).
The identity of the owner was not immediately released.
