On July 15, 2022, the 79.9-foot-long yacht Pegasus caught fire while moored at the Peninsula Yacht Basin in Gig Harbor, Washington. No persons were on board, and the fire burned for about an hour before it was reported. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had engulfed the aft section of the yacht, and the flames could not be completely extinguished. The fire was eventually doused when the vessel sank by its stern at its berth. The Pegasus was a total loss, estimated at $1.5 million. A vessel
docked nearby also suffered minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the fire aboard the recreational yacht Pegasus was spontaneous combustion due to the self-heating of used oil-soaked rags that had been improperly disposed of on the aft deck of the vessel.
Fire Hazard with Oily Rags