Deputies first on the scene of marina fire

Sheriff’s deputies on patrol were the first to notice and respond to a fire at a Marathon marina this morning.

Deputy Seth Hopp was driving southbound near 15th Street at 2:35 a.m. when he saw billowing black smoke coming from Vaca Key Marina behind Porky’s Restaurant in Marathon. He called the fire in to Sheriff’s dispatchers and pulled into the parking lot to investigate.

He heard an explosion and began running toward the fire to make sure no one was in the area. As he ran toward the fire, he heard several more explosions which he said sounded like they might have been propane tanks.

Other deputies arrived, including Deputies Matthew Cory, Daniel Hill and Ian Douthirt. They all began checking and evacuating residences in the area south and west of the fire. At this point, Deputy Hopp said the fire had already consumed several vessels and a large portion of the trap yard on the property.

Deputies began moving boats that were closest to the fire, relocating them away from fire danger. They were able to save all the vessels that had not already been consumed by the fire.

Fire rescue was on scene fighting the fire and asked deputies to help clear an area in an effort to stop the fire from advancing. Using fork lifts, deputies were able to move the lobster traps which were not yet burned and this helped firefighters with bringing the fire under control.

“We all – deputies and firefighters – worked extremely hard to keep this fire from spreading further and to keep anyone from being injured. The teamwork shown on the scene was impressive and I commend everyone for their hard work and dedication to the job of keeping the community safe,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

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