VIDEO: Massive fire in Türkiye marina destroys yachts

A massive marine fire swept through Karagozler Marina, Fethiye, Türkiye yesterday (10 April 2025). Official information is sparse at this time with conflicting media reports from various outlets about the number of boats destroyed, but footage shows the fire spreading quickly.

According to local sources, the fire started on a boat tied to a pier in front of a hotel in the Karagözler neighbourhood. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, but the term ‘electrical fault’ is being bandied around.

Seemingly, the flames were fanned by the wind. The Turkish news agency DHA, says the fire spread to three other boats.

📌 Fethiye'de teknede çıkan yangın, yanındaki 3 tekneye de sıçradı

📎 https://t.co/dBEoPI3OGR pic.twitter.com/oiipvy0plQ

— Demirören Haber Ajansı (@dhainternet) April 10, 2025

MIN reader Gordon Way, managing director of UltraSportEu (an action sport brand distributor including boats), is currently sailing in the area. The fire happened about a mile west of his berth in Ece Marina, Fethiye.

“Most of Fethiye was awake before the call to prayer,” he says, because of the continuous sirens of the fire department, the coast guard and the police.

“We could see a lot of activity and the air was thick with acrid black smoke. Three yachts had apparently caught fire and, from what we can see of the aftermath, they were completely destroyed – one appeared to be a large gullet type boat although it is not clear. The fire department remained in attendance some 12 hours later and were still dampening the embers of what was left. Booms were deployed by the coast guard to help to control pollution.”

Way (who took the three adjacent images) says it’s “remarkable” that only a few boats were involved, given the proximity of others.

“A few hours later more smoke could be seen across the bay which we first put down to a fire in some shrubland but by 5pm we realised that it was a superyacht on fire – once again black smoke could be seen from far and wide and the fire department were in attendance.

“It looked as if they were fighting a losing battle as the flames and smoke appeared to be increasing by the minute. A local commented that today’s fires have destroyed ‘hundreds of millions of dollars of beautiful yachts’.”

Fire, health and police teams were dispatched to the area while coast guard teams responded by sea. The teams continue to work to bring the flames under control, according to DHA. Health teams provided oxygen support to two people affected by the smoke at the scene. It says the incident was brought under control in two hours and that the coast guard pulled four burning boats, including a motor yacht, out to sea and started a cooling operation.

Patronlar Dunyası, local media, reports that the Fethiye and Seydikemer fire brigade teams were unable to control the fire, additional fire brigade teams from Dalaman and Ortaca were sent to the area.

Türkiye Today says the fire escalated quickly and posed a serious threat to surrounding vessels and property.

In 2016, a superyacht, Queen Anna, caught fire in Fethiye Marina. It seemingly belonged to a wealthy Russian who was taken to hospital with smoke poisoning. The Fethiye coast guard tried to put out the fire, but without success. The 29-metre yacht, worth at least $5.7 million, sank overnight.