Man and his dog escape narrow boat fire at Foxton

The man clambered off his boat with his pet and raised the alarm after the blaze broke out at about 10.30am on Sunday morning (Feb 2).

The distraught owner could only stand by and watch as flames ripped through his boat on the Grand Union canal off Main Street, Foxton.

Appliances from Market Harborough and a special water rescue unit from Leicester’s Southern Station raced to the scene as passers-by looked on.

Firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control by 11.17am.

But the fire seriously damaged the blue and maroon boat and has made it “uninhabitable”, a Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said.

The fire started “accidentally” and no-one was hurt in the incident, she said.

An ambulance also attended but wasn’t needed.