Fire at Mosman Marina

Fire rips through luxury yachts at Mosman Marina, causing millions in damage

By Lucy Pearson

Fire tore through a row of luxury yachts at one of Sydney Harbour’s most prestigious marinas in the early hours of Friday 9^th January, destroying three vessels, badly damaging a fourth and forcing residents to flee as thick smoke filled the air.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) was called to the blaze at The Spit Marina in Mosman, on Sydney’s lower North Shore, shortly before 3.30am. More than 40 firefighters rushed to the scene alongside a firefighting vessel from the NSW Port Authority, as flames rapidly spread across multiple super yachts moored along the dock.

It took crews approximately two and a half hours to bring the fire under control. By the time it was extinguished, three large yachts had been completely destroyed and sunk, while a fourth sustained significant damage and remained afloat. Authorities estimate the damage to be in the millions of dollars.

FRNSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the scale of the response reflected the serious risk posed by the blaze, which could easily have spread further through the tightly packed marina.

“There’s dozens of boats and yachts here, and a lot of money, but also people living aboard some of these vessels,” Dewberry said. “This could have been far more destructive.”

Four people escaped the fire, while NSW Ambulance paramedics treated several individuals for smoke inhalation. One woman was taken to hospital in a stable condition. No serious injuries were reported.

Boat owner Andrew Carr, who lives aboard his vessel at the marina, said he was woken by police shortly after 4am as officers worked urgently to evacuate residents from surrounding boats.

“There was a loud bang at the door, which is unusual when you’re sleeping on a boat,” Carr told Nine News. “I opened it and there was a police officer saying, ‘You need to get off the boat, there’s been a fire on the dock.’”

Carr said police went door to door, waking people and ensuring they moved to safety as the fire raged nearby.

“They knocked on every boat,” he said. “You could see clouds of smoke everywhere.”

He described watching in shock as the flames leapt between vessels.

“It burnt really, really quickly,” Carr said. “I was really surprised. They just couldn’t put them out.”

Vision from the scene showed one of the charred yachts slipping beneath the surface of the harbour as firefighters continued to battle the blaze, with plumes of dark smoke rising above the marina.

In addition to extinguishing the fire, emergency crews worked to prevent environmental damage. Fire and Rescue NSW, in coordination with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the NSW Port Authority, deployed containment booms around the affected area to capture debris and prevent oil, fuel and other hazardous materials from contaminating the water.

A Port Authority firefighting vessel, Girawaa, played a key role in dousing the flames from the water and assisting with the removal of fuel and oils from the damaged and sunken yachts.

Dewberry confirmed the clean-up effort was a priority alongside the firefighting response.

“We’re working closely with the EPA and Port Authority to make sure any materials that could impact the harbour are contained,” he said.

The Spit Marina, operated by d’Albora, is home to a range of marine services, brokerage businesses, a boat club and waterfront restaurants, and is widely described as one of Sydney Harbour’s most exclusive boating precincts, with dedicated superyacht berths.

David Joyce, d’Albora’s head of marketing, said the company’s focus was on safety, supporting authorities and restoring operations as quickly as possible.

“Our priority is ensuring safety on site, supporting authorities with their investigation and clean-up, and restoring safe operations as soon as possible,” Joyce said. “We have deployed significant resources to assist with these tasks and to minimise disruption to our customers.”

Joyce said normal marina operations were expected to resume on Friday afternoon, although large sections of the site remained inaccessible during the morning.

Traffic was also affected during the emergency response, with one lane of the Spit Bridge closed while firefighters worked to control the blaze. The bridge has since reopened.

Investigators are now working to determine what caused the fire. Authorities have confirmed it is not currently being treated as suspicious.

FRNSW has made footage of the incident available, showing the scale of the response and the intensity of the blaze as crews fought to stop it spreading further through the marina.

Operations concluded at approximately 8.30am, leaving behind a scene of charred wreckage, sunken vessels and floating debris — a stark reminder of how quickly disaster can strike in densely packed waterfront precincts.

As investigations continue, residents and boat owners are being supported while authorities assess the structural integrity of surrounding vessels and the environmental impact of the fire. For many who were forced to flee in the darkness, the shock of the night’s events is still sinking in.

“You don’t expect to wake up to that,” Carr said. “One minute you’re asleep, the next you’re being told to get out because the boats next to you are on fire.”