Originally published December 19, 2002
TORTURED screeching and spectacular explosions filled the air as seven houseboats were destroyed and three others damaged by a raging fire.
Early reports indicated a houseboat and nearby scrub at Bruces Bend were on fire, but it took only minutes for the blaze to spread through other houseboats at the marina.
An estimate of damage was deemed by police to be "a very conservative $1 million".
Firefighters rushed to the scene, with numerous tankers set in place to control the leaping flames.
Exploding gas bottles proved hazardous to both firefighters and a gathering crowd estimated at one stage to be around 250 onlookers.
One explosion caused an enormous fireball which ripped through an overhanging tree.
Mildura resident Michael Powell was sitting close-by on the river's edge with three friends when the fire began.
"We were just sitting here when we noticed a little flame coming from the top of one of the boats," the 17-year-old said.
"We drove down and saw the lady from the next boat trying to untie her boat and push it out of the way."
The four teenagers hurried to assist the boat owner, when gas bottles began exploding around them.
"We saw the gas cylinder bouncing around on the deck -- then it just went bang," he said.
"We ran for it, but we had to drag the lady away."
Michael called the fire brigade from his mobile phone as explosions erupted no less than 25 meters away.
The area was quickly taken over by emergency services personnel, with police, Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE).
NSW Environmental Protection Authority, Lower Murray Water and WorkCover were notified.
NSW fire brigades were also called in.
Reverberating screeching noises echoed across the river as gas leaked from cylinders and pontoons collapsed.
As fire spread through more and more luxury hire houseboats, firefighters began struggling with the thick black smoke.
Ambulances were called to the scene, with three firefighters treated for smoke inhalation.
As the scene was reduced to clearing smoke and tangled floating wreckage, police reported a breakaway scrub fire on the riverbank nearby.
A DNRE fire crew rushed to the second fire as firefighters finally extinguished what remained of the houseboat fire.
The scrub fire had spread over approximately 500 metres of bush land by the time crews arrived.
