RedactedNarrative: On November 12th, 2021 at around 8:15 P.M., I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, along with Corporal, received a call for a boat fire on Cadle Creek of the Rhode River. Upon arriving on the scene via boat, I observed a vessel engulfed in flames and the fire was being extinguished by an Anne Arundel Fireboat. While the fire was being extinguished, I was able to identify the owner of the vessel. The owner was identified and was not present during the vessel fire. The vessel was identified as a 1965 Columbia 28'  Cabin boat, bearing Maryland registration MD 9542 AG. The vessel was powered by a 1998 Crusader 270 inboard motor.
  
      Subject1 stated that he had been doing electrical work on the vessel during the day, he had replaced the batteries and wired in a fish finder to the vessel. Subject1 realized the vessel was low on fuel, (1/8th of the tank or about 25 gallons), so he decided to take five 5-gallon gas tanks to a gas station to bring back for the vessel. Subject1 then ran to get the gas and other errands. When he returned to the vessel he placed the five 5-gallon gas cans on the gunwale of the vessel. Subject1 then turned on the power inverter to the vessel and plugged in his cell phone. He then ran back to his residence for a short period of time. While at his residence, Subject1 received a call from a neighbor that his boat had caught fire. Subject1 stated that he only had liability insurance on the vessel, so the insurance would only cover the salvage of the vessel. 
  
     While at the scene, Corporal and Myself asked bystanders if they observed anything before the fire department arrived. We received written statements from four neighbors who witnessed the fire. One person heard muffled explosions and observed the vessel on fire. He also saw owner’s golf cart near the dock. Another person heard the explosion and saw the vessel on fire as well. Two others did not see the fire start but attempted to use their garden hose to put out the fire. There were no witnesses that observed the vessel before the first explosion. 
  
      The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical-related, due to the addition of new batteries and newly wired electronics.
  
  All events occurred within Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
  