A large cloud of black smoke could be seen briefly Monday afternoon near Daviess County High School. It came from a boat that caught on fire while the owner was working on it in his driveway in a nearby neighborhood, according to the Daviess County Fire Department.
The fire occurred in the 1600 block of Fawn Drive. DCFD Chief Jeremy Smith said the homeowner reported that he put new batteries in the boat and when he tested them it “caused some type of electrical fire.” Smith said they aren’t sure exactly what caused it at this point.
The boat was located a few feet away from a detached garage. Smith said there appeared to have been some bird nests that caught fire in the eaves, but the fire didn’t get in the walls or in the garage. The owner was not injured in the incident.
The fire was called in at 3:34 p.m. Smith said the first firefighter was on scene in less than 5 minutes and the first engine arrived in less than 10. They extinguished the fire quickly after arriving.
The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and AMR Ambulance also responded to the scene.
