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Huge plumes of smoke billowed from flames on a Lake Norman boat, video shows

Huge plumes of smoke billowed from a fire on a boat on Lake Norman Sunday.
Huge plumes of smoke billowed from a fire on a boat on Lake Norman Sunday. Screenshot of Cornelius-Lemley Fire Rescue video

The Mecklenburg County Fire Marshals Office is investigating the cause of a boat fire on Lake Norman Sunday that sent huge plumes of smoke billowing skyward.

Cornelius-Lemley Fire Rescue posted a 10-second video of the plumes on social media.

Flames erupted on the boat off Mariner Cove Drive during the ice storm that shut down the Charlotte region. Mariner Cove Drive is off West Catawba Avenue just north of Sam Furr Road-N.C. 73.

Cornelius fire companies and a crew aboard the town’s fireboat 4 “faced challenging conditions with freezing temperatures, ice-covered surfaces, and limited access, but worked quickly and efficiently to bring the fire under control,” according to the Cornelius-Lemley Facebook post.

The fire boat 4 crew “played a key role” in dousing the flames ... while ground companies supported operations and ensured the safety of everyone involved.

The boat was a large cabin cruiser, Queen City News reported.

No one was injured, fire officials said. The Fire Marshals Office had issued no update on its investigation by Tuesday.

This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 11:54 AM.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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