Thursday, 4:30 PM
Fire at Braintree yacht club fanned by high winds
By Globe Staff
High winds complicated firefighters attempts to quell an early morning blaze at a yacht club in Braintree, with 40-plus mph gusts fanning the flames.
No one was hurt, but the fire sunk two boats, heavily damaged a pier, and spilled fuel and other hazardous materials into the water, said Braintree Lieutenant Dan McDonnell. One firefighter slipped on the slick, windswept dock and fell into the water, but he was not seriously hurt.
Firefighters received reports of a boat engulfed in flames at the Metropolitan Yacht Club on Vinedale Road at 4:52 a.m. The high winds made water from the firefighters' hoses ineffective, McDonnell said, as the crews were pelted with horizontal rain.
The Coast Guard and state fire marshal are investigating. The cause has not yet been determined, McDonnell said.
