Man hospitalized with severe burns after 3 boats catch fire in False Creek
CBC
Firefighters responded to Vancouver's False Creek Thursday evening where three vessels caught fire, leaving one man hospitalized with severe burns.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services dispatched two fireboats and a ladder truck to the scene at around 5 p.m.
Assistant Fire Chief Ken Gemmill said the blaze had engulfed two large vessels and a small pleasure craft.
"Heavy smoke and flames came from the two bigger vessels, a 40-foot sail boat and a 35-foot pleasure craft," he said.
The vessels could be seen ablaze east of the Granville Street bridge, on False Creek between the seawall around Charleson Park and Yaletown.
The boat fire sent heavy smoke up into the Vancouver sky but the assistant fire chief has since said the situation was under control amid firefighter efforts.
Two passengers were aboard, a female passenger in the bigger sailing boat and a male passenger in the pleasure craft.
Gemmill said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental.
"It appears to be in the larger pleasure craft. The gentleman on board was cooking and something to do with the cooking, the vessel caught fire," he added.
"The female passenger while distraught isn't injured but the man has suffered severe burns."
According to the B.C. Emergency Health Services, the injured adult male was treated on the spot and was taken to the hospital shortly thereafter.
The man suffered serious burns but is currently reported to be in stable condition.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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