One of the most famous ferries of Boblo Island and part of Detroit-Windsor history caught fire on Friday, July 6.
Detroit news outlets started reporting at around 11:40 am that smoke could be seen pouring from SS St Claire which docked at Riverside Marina in Detroit.
By noon, fire was ravaging all decks of the 108-year-old ship. As of 12:30 p.m., cause of the fire remained unknown.
Flames' intensity forced firefighters to take defensive approach with the ferry boat, directing water from afar.
S.S. Ste. Claire was moved to Detroit in 2016 after it was bought by a private collector. Along with S.S. Columbia, it brought visitors to Boblo Island’s amusement park.
The 190-feet long S.S. Ste. Claire ferry was built in 1910 and could accommodate 2,400 passengers on its 4 decks. The vessel remained in service for 81 years. Its last trip to Boblo Island was in 1991. After that, the ship fell into disrepair and was towed to a variety of docks for vague restoration efforts.