A fire broke out early Monday morning at Marker 37 marina on the island, damaging multiple boats and sending heavy flames and thick black smoke into the sky.
The Corpus Christi Fire Department was dispatched around 3:45 a.m., arriving to find multiple boats engulfed in fire along a section of the docks.
Corpus Christi Fire Department Battalion Chief Cody Eyring said the fire was concentrated in one area of the marina.
"The main area of fire involvement was the little L-shape of the boat slips right by Scoopies," Eyring said.
Crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures. Officials say no buildings were involved and no injuries have been reported.
Some boat owners learned about the fire before they even arrived at the marina.
"We actually were supposed to pull our boat out this morning, but on the way here, we found out that there was a fire going on," Captain David Ramcharam said.
While Ramcharam says his boats were spared, other owners are surveying charred docks and damaged vessels, beginning the long process of cleanup and repairs.
"Devastated for everybody here that was affected, of course. Business-wise, we have to wait to see when they clean up and clear out, waiting on the fire marshals to give us an all-clear to be able to go in and inspect the boats and the area and stuff," Ramcharam said.
For some, the damage hits especially close to home. Timothy Charo, the artist behind the murals painted along the walls of Marker 37, says the location means more than just work.
"It's semi-depressing, but I guess it can be rebuilt. And if they need me to do more artwork, I definitely will. This job got me through a real rough time of my life. So, I mean, this place means a lot to me. I got a lot of years into this and a lot of my artwork," Charo said.
Fire marshals are now investigating what caused the blaze. Boat owners are left cleaning up and hoping for answers.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
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