Boat fire on Pewaukee Lake, 2 on board

PEWAUKEE, Wis. - Two people were on board amid a massive boat fire on Pewaukee Lake Saturday, June 5. 

Firefighters had to use a boat launch to get out to the fire, and they could see the smoke all the way from the firehouse. 

As the thick, dark smoke billowed out from a boat on Pewaukee Lake, one of the firefighters out on the water was Captain Stephen Schultz.

"No, not very normal for us to see boats on fire," he said.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android

Schultz said he was at the station when a different firefighter got a call from his wife to look out the window towards the lake.

"We all kind of went into the kitchen and peeked out and were like, ‘Holy cow, let’s start heading,’" said Schultz.

Once at the lake, Captain Schultz and another firefighter teamed up with the Pewaukee Boat Patrol to get the fire closer to shore.

"We went out in full gear and were able to hook up the boat to a tow line because our boat is great, but it doesn’t have ability to extinguish fire out on the water, so we had to bring it closer to us," he said.

The man who shot drone video said he helped rescue the two people that were on the burning boat after they jumped off. 

Captain Schultz said while this was rare, it's a good reminder to always be prepared for the worst.

"Maintenance, making sure your boat is taken care of before you go out there, having the safety measures, the lifejackets, the throw pulls in case you come across another person that might be stranded," he said.

The DNR said two people got off the boat themselves and were not injured. The boat was a total loss. Foul play is not suspected, with the fire likely caused by a mechanical issue.