A luxurious California yacht filled with fireworks and 1,000 rounds of ammunition burst into a fiery inferno before eventually sinking into the waters of Marina del Rey Wednesday night.
The Admiral, a 100-foot twin diesel engine boat, was docked in the man-made harbor when it erupted into flames, leading to a large-scale response from the LA Fire Department.
Only two hours after catching fire, the nearly million-dollar boat sunk into the 800-acre marina 5 miles south of Santa Monica.
Two people escaped the blaze without injuries, the fire department reported.
Witnesses captured the flames tearing through the 100-foot yacht as fireworks illuminated the black smoke and flew across the sky.
Efforts to extinguish the flames appeared successful from the outside, but the fire burning on the inside seemed to be resistant to the water hoses as the blaze continued to destroy the interior, according to KTLA.
Dozens of first responders and intrigued community members watched the fallen boat lying in the marina while crews continued to douse the wreckage with water.
Neighbors grew fearful that the blaze would extend into nearby boats and potentially set off a chain reaction.
“I saw it fully engulfed in flames and like many of us living here heard an explosion and saw fireworks coming off it, and more flames and then walked down here and captured video of it,” resident Lynn Rose told NBC Los Angeles.
The boat was reportedly being fueled by a propane source “complicating” firefighting efforts. Officials set up a floating physical barrier known as a boom to catch debris, including diesel fuel from polluting the waters.
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It began listing to its side, forcing officials to evacuate everyone from the dock. The destroyed yacht sank into the water around 10:30 p.m. while the fire continued to burn below deck.
Officials did not indicate how the fire started as of Thursday morning.
The Admiral, built by Broward Marine in 1986, features 4 cabins including the master suite, can hold 10 guests with 3 crew members, and was last listed in 2018 for $985,000, according to Boat International.
Before its fiery destruction, the boat could reach a top speed of 18 knots.
The owner’s identity was not immediately revealed.
