Richmond Bridge Boat Fire

[Josher]

Another fire ...

 

Houseboat moored by Richmond Bridge has been gutted by fire

 

9:20am Tuesday 15th February 2011 Richmond Times

 

 

 

 

An abandoned house boat by Richmond Bridge has been gutted by fire. Centaur, a canal boat moored in front of boatbuilding company Richmond Bridge Boat Houses, went up in flames in the early hours of Sunday morning.

 

Richmond firefighters confirmed they were called to the blaze at about 3.30am but said by that point the boat was "pretty well alight". A spokesman at Richmond fire station said: "The interior is gone and it is just the shell left there now." He also confirmed one man who had been on board when the blaze broke out had been taken to hospital with minor burns. No one else was hurt.

 

Firefighters from neighbouring Twickenham, Kingston and Heston all helped to put out the early morning fire after a Richmond Riverside security guard spotted the flames. Mark Edwards, owner of Richmond Bridge Boat Houses, said it was lucky no one was seriously hurt. He said: "There was a guy who had stayed on the boat overnight and he woke up early in the morning and lit the wood burning stove because he was cold... and something happened. "He walked out the boat and the thing just went up in flames. It was lucky he was awake and just got out." Mr Edwards added that the boat had been abandoned by its female owner last year. He said the owner told the boat houses they could use the boat while she was away and they had occasionally been using it as an office.

 

Mr Edwards added it had been a "completely beautiful boat inside" and that he and his colleagues had been trying to track the owner down for more than nine months but had heard nothing from her. Centaur, which is still moored by Richmond Bridge, is completely burnt out inside and has been secured to keep it above water. A fire investigation unit is currently looking into the incident.

[Josher]

Latest ...

 

 

6:50am Friday 18th February 2011 Richmond Times

 

The mystery of a missing boat owner continued today after an abandoned house boat at Richmond Bridge was gutted by fire. Canal boat Centaur went up in flames in the early hours of Sunday - but neighbours said they had no way of contacting its former owner to give her the news. Mark Edwards, owner of nearby Richmond Bridge Boat Houses, a boat-building company, said the female owner abandoned the boat some time ago. He said: “We have been looking for the owner for six months and she has not been found “She is a lady who turns up every six months or so and then disappears. The boat is just going to stay there until she turns up.” Mr Edwards said there was the possibility of going to court to officially take possession of the boat but at the moment he was hoping the owner would return.

 

Richmond firefighters were called to the blaze at about 3.30am after a Richmond Riverside security guard spotted the flames. Crews from Twickenham, Kingston and Heston all helped to put out the blaze but said by the time they arrived the boat was already "pretty well alight". A spokesman at Richmond fire station said: "The interior is gone and it is just the shell left there now." Mr Edwards said it was just lucky no one was seriously hurt. He said: "There was a guy who had stayed on the boat overnight and he woke up early in the morning and lit the stove because he was cold... and something happened. "He walked out of the boat and the thing just went up in flames. It was lucky he was awake and just got out." He added when the owner abandoned her boat last year she told the boat houses they could use it in her absence. They had occasionally used it as an office.

 

Centaur was gutted in the blaze and had to be secured to keep it above water. The boat houses got permission from the fire brigade to clean the boat while they wait for the owner to return. Richmond police confirmed a 40-year-old man who was on board when the blaze broke out was taken to hospital and treated for burns on his arm and hand. No one else was hurt. Police ruled out arson and said the fire was believed to be the result of an accident caused by a faulty gas cooker. A fire investigation unit is looking into the incident.

[M.t Major]

yea no that boat not good to here that about it ... my tug was just moored up from that anout 3 weeks ago !!