Firefighters to aid of boat

A SPECIALIST Newhaven maritime fire-fighting team was called in to action in the early hours of Sunday when a boat burst into flames at sea.

A month after they dealt with a fire on the container ship Wester Till off Eastbourne, the specially-trained team were scrambled by Solent Coastguard to board the Petronella, a 90-ft fishing boat, four miles off Newhaven.

The vessel, with a four-man crew, had radioed for help when fire broke out in its engine room.

A Fire Brigade spokeswoman said: 'Eleven members of the East Sussex Fire Brigade Maritime Team were taken to the ship by lifeboat and were able to extinguish the fire using foam, containing it to the engine room.'

The Newhaven Lifeboat made two journeys to help the stricken fishing boat.

Lifeboat spokeswoman Pat Johns said: 'On arrival at the scene the four crew members were equipped with lifejackets and ready to abandon ship but remained and assisted three Lifeboat crew who were put on board with a salvage pump to cool the area down.

'In the meantime the Lifeboat returned to Newhaven Harbour to collect the team of maritime fire fighters and took them to the vessel where the fire was extinguished.'

The fishing boat's nets and catch had to be cut free as it was acting as an anchor and preventing it from being towed ashore.

The vessel was eventually brought into Newhaven Harbour at 4.20 am.

No one was hurt during the incident.