Duck boat catches fire in Miami Beach

Fire forces closure of MacArthur Causeway

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. ā€“ A duck boat caught fire Friday afternoon on the MacArthur Causeway.

The fire prompted authorities to close all lanes of the causeway, which connects Miami to Miami Beach.

Sky 10 was above the scene as firefighters doused the back of the amphibious Miami Pirate Duck Tours bus, which also functions as a boat, with foam.

Passengers said they were about an hour into their guided tour when the fire started.

"The girl that does the pirating, she suddenly said, 'We have to make a quick detour,' which we presumed was just part of (the) excursion, and all of the sudden she ran along the back and said, 'Oh, I think I need to put the steps down,'" passenger Chris Buck said. "(She) put the steps down and when I looked down, I could see flames under the floor."Ā 

It wasn't immediately known how the fire started, but no injuries were reported.

The duck boat was later towed away.

Another tour bus stopped to pick up the stranded passengers, who watched from a nearby sidewalk as firefighters extinguished the flames.

The causeway reopened shortly before 4 p.m.


About the Authors:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.