Overview
- The Champion reported a fire in an engine machinery space about 2:31 p.m. on Monday and its captain diverted the ferry to Castle Island so passengers could disembark quickly.
- Boston Fire Department marine units kept the vessel against the shore while crews worked aboard and extinguished the flames.
- Sky5 footage and officials showed passengers wearing life jackets disembarking and 25 people were taken ashore and moved by MBTA bus toward Long Wharf and the Aquarium station.
- The MBTA said the flames were put out quickly and the U.S. Coast Guard has opened an investigation; officials have not released final details on the fire’s cause or any injuries.
- The Champion is a 150-passenger high-speed catamaran procured in 2018, and the MBTA said other ferries covered the route for the rest of the day while the disabled vessel was towed away.