PORT LAMBTON – A newly-married Michigan couple find it hard to fathom that the pleasure boat they used for their honeymoon in September is now history.
In fact, the 41-foot "La Dolce Vita'' is among an estimated 70 pleasure craft destroyed in Tuesday's multi-million dollar blaze at St. Clair Boathouse on Old River Road, south of Port Lambton.
"I guess I don't have to worry about polishing the boat next spring,'' said owner Nat Pulizzi of Troy, Mich. "Instead, I'll likely be sweeping up what's left over in a dust pan.''
Seventy firefighters responded to the scene at of the burning storage shed, which witnesses said exploded before going up in smoke that could be seen for miles around on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
"We are very fortunate that not a single firefighter was injured,'' said St. Clair Township Fire Chief Roy Dewhirst.
Local firefighters were augmented by five volunteers from Algonac, Mich., directly across the St. Clair River. A fire boat and a ladder truck were also dispatched by the Clay Township Fire Department in Algonac.
Dewhirst described the blaze as a "once in a career fire.''
The fire chief said his volunteer staff wore breathing apparatus to protect themselves from the thick, billowing smoke and fumes from the burning fiberglass and wooden boats.
A handful of firefighters were back at the scene Wednesday morning dousing hot spots in the former 300-by -100 metal storage building.
Paul Dow, lead investigator with the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office, said it will likely take a few days to determine the cause of the fire.
"I'm here to conduct an investigation into the cause and circumstances of the fire,'' he said. "The plan is to dismantle the ruins in an attempt to determine a cause.''
A shelter in place order, issued for residents in the areas as well as across the St. Clair River in Michigan because of environmental concerns, was lifted at 9 p.m.
Residents were asked to stay indoors and turn off any air intake or ventilation systems they might be using.
No injuries were reported and although a damage estimate is not yet available officials said property damage will be in the millions.
The huge storage facility destroyed was one of two built side by side. A fire wall and efforts of dozens of firefighters saved the adjacent building, which also contained dozens of boats.
Veteran boater Harvey Schilke of London said his 41-foot boat was reduced to rubble in the fire.
"I will likely try and replace it but it took me more than a year to find this one,'' he said.
Schilke and his wife, Mary, along with a number of other boat owners at the scene, voiced their concern for marina owner Steve Coopman.
Michael Dale, of London, who lost his 35-foot boat in the fire, said there is nothing worse than a fire involving gasoline, diesel fuel and fiberglass.
Ron Wade, owner of Done Rite Restoration, which is housed in a large building across the street from the fire scene, spotted the smoke on the way to work early Tuesday morning.
"I was hoping it wasn't coming from my building,'' said the Wallaceburg resident, who restores antique boats.
Wade praised firefighters at the scene.
"They did a great job,'' he said.
The fire was reminiscent of a $1-million blaze that destroyed the world-renowned Abbott Boat Works in Sarnia in the summer of 2006. It too sent huge volumes of smoke billowing into the air, some of which may have been laced with toxic chemicals from burnt plastic.
