Fire guts six luxury boats in Sydney

Six luxury boats have been destroyed in a huge blaze at a marina on Sydney's
northern beaches, with two people, including a police officer, suffering smoke
inhalation.
A police spokesman said early investigations suggest someone was working on their
boat when it caught alight while moored near Beaconsfield Street, Newport, about
2.30pm (AEST) on Wednesday.
The flames spread to two other boats which were moored nearby, police said.
Two of the burning craft were dragged to sand bars and extinguished, but one drifted
to the nearby Sirsi Marina, and set another two boats alight, a police spokesman
said.
The marina was also damaged and two of the three boats were still on fire after
being pushed away from the marina.
NSW Fire Brigades spokesman Norm Buckley said the boats were dragged out into open
water to prevent further damage.
"We pushed those crafts that were actually on fire out into the water so they don't
pose any danger to the actual wharf itself or any part of the structures or indeed
any of the other boats," he said.
"We're also using one of the Rural Fire Service's fire boats, and they'll be putting
those fires out on those boats that are floating in the bay."
Police said later on Wednesday a total of six boats were destroyed in the blaze.
"One police officer ... and one other man suffered some smoke inhalation," a police
spokesman said.
Mr Buckley said all boats were extinguished by the evening and hazardous materials
response units were working at the site to deal with any environmental impacts.
"At the moment, they're putting booms around three of the vessels that are on the
sand bar, or near to that sand bar to ... prevent any fuels getting into the water,"
he said.
Police will continue to investigate the circumstances of the blaze.
Plumes of smoke from the blazing boats were reportedly seen as far away as Gosford
on the NSW Central Coast.