lake travis

Description

Iconic Boat Goes Up In Flames On Lake Travis FLAGSHIP Texas Party Boat Fire totaled. An iconic riverboat-style party boat burned to a charred hull on Lake Travis Friday afternoon after officials said a fire begin in the boat's kitchen. After the fire erupted at 4:10 p.m. aboard the Flagship Texas , witnesses said three crew members scrambled off the docked craft quickly and safely. The two-level boat is known for hosting floating weddings and banquets for up to 250 people. Firefighters arriving by land found their hoses wouldn't reach down the steep slope of Windy Point Park that leads to the dock. Only a Lake Travis fire boat could reach the lakeside inferno which took two hours to bring under control. "I think the way we combated this fire proved the benefit of having a fire boat on the water," said interim Chief Robert Abbott of Lake Travis Fire-Rescue. "But occasionally all the outcomes are not what we would desire them to be," he said. "The boat got here as quickly as it could. And based on the topography of getting land based units down to the fire, we had some challenges." He said there are about two boat fires a year on the lake. The last major one was two years ago. A friend of the boat's owner said the craft had just refurbished to ready her for the summer season. Fire officials estimate the loss at $400,000. "It's gone," said witness Sal Rodriguez, glancing down at the boat that was still smoldering three hours later. "It's sad."