Firefighter injured as fishing boat burns in Newport Harbor

A firefighter suffered minor injuries as crews quickly doused a blaze on a fishing boat docked in Newport Harbor on Friday morning, authorities said.

Two people aboard the boat escaped without injury, Newport Beach police Sgt. Keith Krallman said in a news release.

Flames broke out around 8:30 a.m. on the 19-foot boat off the Balboa Peninsula near 19th Street and West Bay Avenue, according to Newport Beach and Orange County Harbor Patrol dispatchers.

About a half-dozen fire units responded and knocked down the flames by 8:50, according to the Newport Beach Fire Department. The response team included two fireboats and a unit from Costa Mesa.

“One fireman sustained minor injuries to his lower legs,” Krallman said. “He was treated at a local hospital and released back to duty.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said. A damage estimate was not immediately available.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck