Boat with 300 gallons of fuel on board catches fire; none injured

A boat stored on a Wading River driveway with about 300 gallons of fuel on board caught fire Wednesday morning, Wading River fire officials said.

The fire, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical problem, was brought under control by Wading River Fire Department volunteers and no one was injured.

The owners of the boat, located at Merion Circle, were in their home when the boat caught fire, according to Riverhead police. Police said a neighbor warned them that their boat was on fire, and they called for emergency help.

Firefighters received a call about the boat fire about 10:40 a.m., said Wading River first assistant chief Jim Evans. When fire crews arrived on the scene 10 minutes later, they found the Fountain boat stored on a trailer next to the house was on fire.

Volunteers spent about an hour fighting the blaze, Mr. Evans said, adding that despite the threat of the gas fuel on board, the situation was kept under control.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Mr. Evans said.