RedactedNarrative: On Saturday, May 31, 2014, at approximately 1:57 PM, I was dispatched, via District 6 Illinois State Police, to the Clinton Lake - Weldon Access Area - for a watercraft fire. I was advised the watercraft operator was the sole occupant of the burning vessel and had escaped the boat without injury. When I arrived, at around 2:41 PM, personnel from the Dewitt County Sheriff''s Police Department, Weldon Fire and Ambulance, and IDNR Mascoutin SRA Staff were on-scene. I looked to the northwest, across the lake from the Weldon Access Area, and observed a watercraft fully engulfed in flames. I met with Weldon Fire Chief to verify the vessel was abandoned and no one was injured. 
  
  I spoke with the operator.  According to OPERATOR, he recently bought the boat and May 31, 2014, was his maiden voyage. OPERATOR alleged he wanted to take a short test drive prior to allowing his family to get onboard. He stated he launched the boat, at the Weldon Access Area, and “did one circle” through the mid-portion of the lake northwest of the access. OPERATOR said the boat was running fine so he started to reapproach the Weldon Boat Dock to pick up his family when he noticed white smoke coming from the engine compartment at the rear of his boat. After seeing the smoke, OPERATOR changed directions and operated the boat away from the boat dock, into the middle of Clinton Lake-northwest of the dock. OPERATOR opened the engine compartment and saw his boat was on fire and the smoke was turning from white to black. He emptied his fire extinguisher, inside the engine compartment, in an unsuccessful attempt to put the fire out. Two unidentified, passing watercraft gave OPERATOR their fire extinguishers. After using 3 fire extinguishers, OPERATOR was unable to put the fire out. He abandoned the boat and was given a ride to shore by an unidentified boater. OPERATOR said he had the ventilator running from the time he launched the boat throughout the entire incident. The boat was fully fueled prior to the trip; however, OPERATOR did not believe he had spilled any fuel. OPERATOR said he did not hear, or see, anything unusual about vessel. By all indications, the watercraft did not have any problems until the fire started. OPERATOR stated he purchased the boat in February 2014 for $2,700. He had not transferred the watercraft into his name as of May 31, 2014. OPERATOR said he did not have a bill of sale for the boat or any proof of ownership. However, he claimed he had the State of Illinois Watercraft Certificate of Title and Watercraft Registration Card at his residence. The vessel was not insured. OPERATOR claimed he had not personally performed, or hired / allowed anyone else to perform, maintenance on the boat. To his knowledge, no watercraft parts not intended for marine-use were installed on the vessel. OPERATOR provided a written statement documenting his account of the incident [ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT]. 
  
  Personnel from Clinton Lake Marina ferried firefighters, from the Weldon Fire Department, to the boat. They unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the flames. After, Clinton Lake Marina towed the boat, still on fire, to the Weldon Access Area where more effective measures were used to put the fire out. The watercraft was removed from the scene by Reynolds Towing [IDNR-OLE Tow Report ATTACHED]. 
  
  On June 02, 2014, at approximately 10:00 AM, I met with OPERATOR. He voluntarily surrendered his State of Illinois Watercraft Certificate of Title and Watercraft Registration Card. The back of the title had been signed by the previous owner but was not dated or signed by OPERATOR [copies of both documents are ATTACHED to this report]. I issued OPERATOR IDNR-OLE Written Warning #J353274-FAILURE TO TRANSFER WATERCRAFT CERTIFICATE OF NUMBER [ATTACHED]. 
  
  The watercraft was a total loss.