ROCKLAND – Rockland Fire Department responded to a boat fire at the Municipal Fish Pier Sunday morning following a request for assistance. Marine Patrol had spotted smoke coming from the stern of the 60-foot steel fishing vessel Brizo around 9:30 a.m.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Adam Miceli, no one was on board the dragger when Marine Patrol spotted the fire and attempted to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Earlier in the morning, boat owner David Stewart of Owls Head had been applying a cutting torch to the chafing gear used to reduce friction along some chains. The chafing gear is made from the rubber of old tires. This material was inside a plastic fish tub, and while Stewart was away for the estimated hour between finishing his work and the report of fire, the materials grew hot, began to smolder, and eventually caught fire.

When the fire extinguisher didn’t work, Rockland Fire came with one fire truck, the four on-duty crew, and, as always, an ambulance. Thomaston’s fire boat was put on standby, according to Miceli.

“Initially it was reported as a fire below deck,” Miceli said. “Had it been a true fire, it would have been much more difficult.”

As it was, firefighters still had to climb across another fishing vessel that the Brizo was tied to, in order to stretch the hose line and extinguish the flames. The owner of the anchor boat was not on scene either.

The fire department cleared the scene after about half and hour.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com