Man escapes boat fire in Biloxi

A man escaped his speed boat in Biloxi this afternoon just moments before it went up in flames.
The explosion happened near the intersection of Lee Street and Highway 90 around 6 p.m. Officials say the boater was responsive at the time AMR took him away for medical treatment, but the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.
Biloxi police redirected traffic for several hours so firefighters could get access to a hydrant on the north side of Highway 90. Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney said, “We can not determine the cause yet. We will do that in our investigation, but please, please, please be careful when you’re fueling boats. Make sure to turn your bilge blowers on. That’s important. Like I said, we don’t know what started it and please, please, keep fireworks away from boats while boating.”
Officials say the 40 foot vessel that caught fire is a complete loss.