Boats on fire and sunk in Teddington lock

[Dave123]

Just seen this from the EA

EA report just received via Twitter of river closure at Teddington due to serious incident:

“Three boats were set on fire and had their moorings cut upstream of #Teddingtonlock. Two of them drifted into the barge lock and main lock and sunk. The navigation is closed until recovery can be secured, which given current flows, may be delayed.”

 

Anyone have any more information? Wonder if they were from the lock visitor moorings or further up where residents have been complaining about boats they don't like...?

[Tim Lewis]

1 hour ago, Dave123 said:

Just seen this from the EA

EA report just received via Twitter of river closure at Teddington due to serious incident:

“Three boats were set on fire and had their moorings cut upstream of #Teddingtonlock. Two of them drifted into the barge lock and main lock and sunk. The navigation is closed until recovery can be secured, which given current flows, may be delayed.”

 

Anyone have any more information? Wonder if they were from the lock visitor moorings or further up where residents have been complaining about boats they don't like...?

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2020/february/boat-fires-teddington/

 

[sirweste]

It was apparently a visiting plastic boat that set on fire which then spread

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, sirweste said:

It was apparently a visiting plastic boat that set on fire which then spread

Odd …………………….

 

Two boats on the south side of the river were badly damaged by fire and sank. A further two boats on the north side of the river were also damaged by fire.

[Murflynn]

'set on fire' implies summat different to 'caught fire'.

[Stilllearning]

Two boats, on each bank of the river? That sounds very suspicious.

[TheBiscuits]

Or a boat on fire burnt through it's mooring lines and drifted across to the other side.

[Tom Morgan]

11 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Or a boat on fire burnt through it's mooring lines and drifted across to the other side.

The report says that three boats were "set on fire" and "had their moorings cut."  

[Arthur Marshall]

4 minutes ago, Tom Morgan said:

The report says that three boats were "set on fire" and "had their moorings cut."  

Yes, but it's on Twitter.

[TheBiscuits]

I try not believe first reports, especially second hand from social media.

 

EA via twitter says 3 boats, fire brigade website says 4, two each side of the river.

 

It's possible that a group of three boats caught fire somehow, and one of that group of three crossed the river and set the fourth boat alight.

 

Of course logic can be a great way to be wrong with confidence ...

Edited February 26, 2020 by TheBiscuits

[Alan de Enfield]

17 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

I try not believe first reports, especially second hand from social media.

 

EA via twitter says 3 boats, fire brigade website says 4, two each side of the river.

 

It's possible that a group of three boats caught fire somehow, and one of that group of three crossed the river and set the fourth boat alight.

 

Of course logic can be a great way to be wrong with confidence ...

 

Or 3 boats were set on fire by a drifting 4th boat …………………..

[OldGoat]

 Oops - assumed upstream incident...

Edited February 26, 2020 by OldGoat
incorrect comment

[ditchcrawler]

There is more information on the EA Facebook page than there is on their website . Just off out so cant copy the documents now

 

[Murflynn]

not 'set on fire' then.

[magnetman]

London VTS saying on their river broadcast that Teddington lock is closed for a week due to several obstructions. A week seems a long time ! 

[Tonka]

5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

London VTS saying on their river broadcast that Teddington lock is closed for a week due to several obstructions. A week seems a long time ! 

Not if the gates have been burnt. 

[magnetman]

Fair point. 

[ditchcrawler]

For those that don't do Facebook

 

 

[sirweste]

40 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

not 'set on fire' then.

my poor use of english. Figured "that set on fire" didn't mean "was set on fire"

[OldGoat]

32 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Not if the gates have been burnt. 

It would take a lot to burn T-l's gates...

 

[TheBiscuits]

38 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Not if the gates have been burnt. 

"We are controlling the pollution risk and working with the boat owners and moorings operator to ensure the boats are removed as soon as river conditions make it safe to do so."

 

2 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

It would take a lot to burn T-l's gates...

 

Especially as someone's just nicked them in your photo ...

[OldGoat]

2 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

"We are controlling the pollution risk and working with the boat owners and moorings operator to ensure the boats are removed as soon as river conditions make it safe to do so."

 

Especially as someone's just nicked them in your photo ...

No, No I was just putting them back - honest, Guv. Looky here there's a bloke in an official looking uniform watching me.....

 

[Murflynn]

he's just a tourist from head office - wouldn't have a clue.

[magnetman]

Interesting comments on this on the Thames forum. 

 

The reason for the week long closure seems to be that the boats have sunk in the two locks (barge lock and launch lock) and need locating. 

 

It's quite an odd situation.

[alan_fincher]

Do they leave the gates open when the locks are not being operated, then?