RedactedNarrative: On Saturday August 07th, 2021 at 12:17pm EST, I, senior Indiana Conservation Officer, received a call from slip holder at Patoka Lake Marina, regarding witnessing/hearing a boat explosion/fire at the Newton/Steward boat ramp at Patoka Reservoir in Orange County, Indiana.  
  I radioed Indiana Conservation Officer's Dispatch about the fire and they notified marine units currently on Patoka Reservoir, ie Senior Indiana Conservation Officer.   
  I was currently at the Hoosier Hills Marina on the other side of Patoka Reservoir, but immediately launched my patrol vessel and started towards the scene in emergency status.  From across the lake, I could see the black smoke over the treetops in the sky.  
  Officer arrived within minutes arriving at 12:19pm EST.  He reported the boat fully engulfed and pushed up against the shore/rock along the Newton/Steward boat ramp.  All occupants were out of the vessel and no injuries were reported.  
  At 12:33 Officer advised of a 23 month old baby on board the vessel who had a skull fracture a month ago was requested the child be checked out by the parents.  Orange County dispatched an ambulance to our location.  
     
  I arrived on scene at 12:36pm EST and used my marked patrol boat to clear the area around the fire scene, with many onlookers and boats attempt to use the ramp, while we waited for the fire department to arrive and extinguish the boat fire.  
  Officer had pulled his marked patrol vessel up to the courtesy dock and was on shore speaking with the boat occupants when I arrived on scene.  
  Patoka Reservoir property manager and security personal blocked the top of the boat ramp so no further vessel could launch while the boat was burning.  
  I took pictures once on scene from the water.  
  The Orange County Volunteer Rural District 1 fire department arrived at 12:50pm and they deployed their tanker truck with two fireman and had the burnt vessel out within minutes of arriving.  
  Mark's Wrecker Service out of Paoli, Indiana arrived at 1:30pm EST and was able to wench the remaining hull up into a flat bed wrecker in one piece.  Mark's took possession of the burnt hull of the boat.  
  The hull number was still visible on the starboard transom:  
  Painted in red/white letters on the rear transom was the boat name.  
  The vessel a blue/white 1989 Monetary 1900 open bow motorboat was registered out of The Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The vessel was 19'1” in length and had a beam of 8'1”.  The vessel's capacity was 8 people.  The vessel was equipped with a 4 cylinder Mercury inboard/board motor with 175 horsepower and was carbureted.   
  Witness explained she was backing their vehicle down the ramp, a white Ford Explorer (Indiana army veteran plate), with her husband Operator behind the wheel of the boat.  
  They were spending the weekend at Patoka Reservoir, camping in the modern campground on site 192.  Therefore, everyone road in the back of the boat to the ramp.  
  Operator stated once his wife backed the boat in the water, he started the blower fan and cranked over the motor, and it started but the motor quickly died.  Therefore, he attempted to start the boat motor a second time and that's when the explosion happened.  
  Operator stated he was thrown into the bow section of the boat. Seven-year-old, who was seated on the engine cover was also thrown into the bow section.  He was wearing his USCG approved life jacket at the time of the explosion.  
  The boat was already unhooked from the Ford Explorer and backing off the trailer when the explosion happened.  Operator screamed for everyone to get off the boat and everyone jumped into the water on the ramp as the boat became fully engulfed.  
  The wave action from the lake then pushed to boat on fire towards the ramp, resting it on the rocks to the right of the ramp, where it burned.  
  Occupants stated they had been out on the boat all last weekend on the Ohio River and did not have any problems with the boat.  
  Witness stated they had just filled up the boat prior to bringing it to Patoka, mentioning they put in twenty gallons using her Casey rewards.