On September 2 at approximately 8 p.m., firefighters responded to an emergency call regarding a fire at Woolwich Dock in Sydney Harbour. The vessel, reportedly 28.4-meter Azzura M/Y Andiamo, was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived and eventually sank. No one was on board at the time of the incident.
The blaze threatened other nearby vessels, but firefighters were able to contain it. However, the yacht was ruined and largely sunk in the harbor, Fire and Rescue New South Wales Superintendent Adam Dewberry told The Sydney Morning Herald. A dockworker on site was able to move the other vessels away from the fire.
“It took so long [to extinguish the fire] because it’s a large vessel, and we had no access onto the yacht itself; it just wasn’t safe to get on board,” Dewberry said.
Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the fire, which they did at about 6 a.m. The yacht had been filled with about 4,000 liters of diesel earlier that day, creating a potential hazard and concern. They remained on site in case of reignition.
He shared with BOAT International that, “The owner or custodian of the vessel will engage a contractor to salvage the yacht and make good any pollution issues. This will be monitored by our maritime authority.”
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but police are investigating the incident.