A weekend fire at a local dock left multiple boats destroyed.
In the early morning hours of June 1, a fire broke out among boat slips at Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie. This blaze affected three docked boats and one jet ski.
Joe Pool Lake is a man-made reservoir stretching across roughly 7,700 acres. After taking a decade to build, the lake opened to the public in 1989 and quickly became a favored destination for residents across the metroplex. The lake is a hotspot for activities such as boating, skiing, fishing, and camping.
The Grand Prairie Fire Department reported having received a call about the blaze at Joe Pool Lake on June 1 at about 5:53 a.m. Responding to the scene at the dock, firefighters found that while some property had been damaged, no one was hurt.
While the exact cause of the fire is currently unknown, officials believe it may have been ignited by an electrical issue on one of the docked boats. The investigation into the cause and origin is still ongoing.
Rodney Ellis, the owner of one of the vessels destroyed in the fire, noted the timing of the incident while commenting to the press.
“Heck of a way to start the Fourth of July weekend, but nobody was injured, so that was the main thing. These boats can be replaced,” said Ellis, according to NBC 5 DFW.
As recently reported by The Dallas Express, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department issued a warning on boating safety ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, many boaters head to area lakes such as Joe Pool Lake to party and watch fireworks.
Parks officials begged caution when it comes to boating, with last year’s festivities leading to the issuing of more than 1,500 citations and nearly 2,000 warnings for boat safety law violations. A total of 49 people were also arrested for boating while intoxicated (BWI).
