Saint-Raphaël: two boats catch fire simultaneously in the port, criminal investigation considered

More than disturbing coincidences. Sunday evening around 9:20 p.m., the Var firefighters were mobilized for a double fire in the small port of Agay, in Saint-Raphaël . When they arrived on site, the firefighters discovered two ships engulfed in flames at the dock, a seven-meter-long pleasure boat and a professional fishing vessel of the same length.

Although they were about fifty meters apart, the two boats were charred. The intervention of 20 firefighters and seven engines was necessary to put out the blaze. Although the origin of the fire remains unknown at this stage, criminal activity seems the most likely. The port authorities have also set up a floating barrier to prevent any pollution of the surface waters .

This case is reminiscent of the dark series of mysterious fires that have taken place in recent months in the port of Saint-Laurent-du-Var (Alpes-Maritimes), a few dozen kilometers from Saint-Raphaël. On February 5, a violent explosion destroyed a 17-meter yacht, causing a spectacular fire without causing any casualties.

The authorities are focusing on the criminal track, a witness having seen a person fleeing after the explosion. Less than a year earlier, in May 2024, five yachts had been ravaged by flames in the same port, in equally murky circumstances. In these two cases, there had been no arrests despite the use of video surveillance cameras .