Hazmat team called after boat fire triggers fuel spill at Petrie Island

Boats burned overnight at Orléans marina 'I'm pretty devastated': Owners rush to a marina near Petrie Island in Orléans as several boats burned overnight. CTV's Megan Shaw reports.

Both Ottawa Police and Ottawa Fire are investigating after multiple large boats caught fire at a marina near Petrie Island this morning.

Crews were called around 4:30a.m. for reports of billowing smoke and large flames coming from Oziles’ Marina, off Trim Rd.

One of the engulfed boats sunk into the water, a second was destroyed and pulled from the water, and several others sustained superficial damage, according to Ottawa Fire investigators.

It is believed the fire started on the boat that sank - The cause is sitll unknown.

The operator at the marina said a family was sleeping in a nearby boat, but were able to escape unharmed. There were no other injuries.

“It was a mother and her two kids…They were not even aware the fire was going on, they were awoken from the fire department,” said Yves Grandmaitre, who runs the marina.

The 33-foot boat that sunk sent 870 litres of fuel into the Ottawa River, requiring the Ottawa Fire Hazmat team to step in.

“We’ve contained it with containment booms, and some flotation soak-up socks,” said District Chief Ron Amos.

Amos said a dive team was working to plug the tanks to stop further leakage. The Ministry of Environment was made aware of the situation.

As of 4:30p.m. the boat remained in the water.

The Ottawa Fire HAZMAT unit has been deployed to cleanup any fuel that spilled into the Ottawa River.