Fire sirens began to roar through Glen Cove on Monday, Nov. 7 at about 12:30 p.m. when Bob Citko, dispatcher for the Glen Cove Fire Department received notification from a member of the Anglers Club that a boat moored at the Jude Thaddeus Marina was on fire. Glen Cove Police also received multiple calls.

According to Det. Sgt. Tom Fitzpatrick of GCPD, the Glen Cove Police Department, Fire Department, Harbor Patrol, and EMS responded to the scene and discovered that several boats, some quite large, were fully ablaze in their slips.

Sgt. Fitzpatrick said, "Apparently a 46' Bertram power boat named Note Worthy caught fire and after becoming fully engulfed in flames, ignited the boat in the adjoining slip. Note Worthy eventually burned through its mooring lines and the wind blew it across the marina into several other moored boats, many of which were ultimately completely burned."

Mr. Citko stated that mutual aid came from Locust Valley, Glenwood Landing, Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay and Bayville, as well as Nassau Police and the U.S Coast Guard.

HExtinguishing the fire was difficult because of the swirling winds and a propane tank that exploded on one of the boats, GCVFD First Assistant Fire Chief Vincent Martinez said, but fire personnel continued to battle the flames diligently for over two hours before finally getting the fire under control, saving many other boats and preventing what could have been a much more devastating situation.

The only consolation for boat owners and lovers, if one looks for the silver lining, is that the fire occurred at the end of boating season.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.