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Firefighters: Record number of boat fires, distress alarms

August 20, 2016 12:00 am • Last Updated: August 20, 2016 12:29 am

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — The North Kingstown Fire department has responded to 7 boat fires and more than 70 distress alarms this year — the most in the department's recorded history.

Fire Captain John Linacre tells WLNE-TV (http://bit.ly/2bsykS6 ) he thinks there are more boaters, which could be contributing to the increasing number of boat fires and medical emergencies.

Crews responded to a boat fire under the Newport bridge over the weekend. They also assisted two weeks earlier when a boat twice caught fire near Hog Island.

The department's lone fire boat responded to 42 calls in 2013. It fields calls all over the state. Linacre says more towns should have them.

New Bedford, Massachusetts received a new fire boat Tuesday. Newport officials plan to discuss buying a fire boat next week.

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