Photo: Onne van der Wal / Corbis Documentary / Getty Images
Sunny Isles Beach, FL - A major fire broke out in the early hours of Friday morning at a marina in Sunny Isles Beach, causing multiple yachts to catch fire and prompting a large emergency response from multiple agencies.
Authorities said the fire began shortly after 5 a.m. near Northeast 163rd Street and Collins Avenue, just behind the residential towers located at 400 Sunny Isles Boulevard.
When Miami Dade Fire Rescue teams arrived, they encountered a yacht fully engulfed in flames at the dock adjacent to apartment buildings.
The fire quickly spread to at least two other vessels docked nearby.
Dramatic video footage captured one yacht ablaze on the water as thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
Aerial views showed several docked boats on fire, though the total number of vessels involved has not yet been confirmed.
More than two dozen fire rescue units were dispatched to the scene, including crews from the City of Miami Fire Rescue, the United States Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Firefighters used both water and foam from land and sea to contain the flames.
One of the burning vessels was moved away from the dock to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The area around the marina was evacuated for safety.
By 7:30 a.m., the fire was under control.
Authorities have not yet reported any injuries, and the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
The incident remains a top priority for fire officials as they assess damage and search for answers.