3 rescued from burning tugboat

By Ryan Kost, Globe Correspondent

The Coast Guard rescued three people from a tugboat that caught fire early this morning and continues to burn.

The fire ignited in the engine room of the 129-foot Canal Deluge at 1 a.m. when the boat was 4 miles south of Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven, according to Petty Officer Connie Terrell. It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze.

A 47-foot Coast Guard boat was able to rescue the three crew members on board. “No one was injured, which is great,” Terrell said.

Both the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers have been working to extinguish the flames. A ship with water hoses has been dousing the fire, and crews are prepared to use a foam spray.

There has not been significant pollution from the fire, Terrell said.

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