Two people and a dog were rescued from a fishing boat that went up in flames off the Malibu coast Tuesday morning, fire officials said.
The 37-foot power boat called the Allison Rae was nearly a mile out to sea off Leo Carrillo Beach on its way to Santa Barbara when the engine caught fire, said Ventura County Fire Department firefighters, who responded to the call at 7:23 a.m.
"The speed with which that fire engulfed that boat was within three minutes," said Chief Norman Plott, of the Ventura County Fire Department.
The men and dog leaped into the water to escape the flames and were rescued 20 minutes later by a witness in another boat. They were later placed on a U.S. Coast Guard ship.
Firefighters extinguished the flames, sending a plume of white smoke into the air. The boat eventually sank.
They were described as "experienced mariners" who prepared for the worst.
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"They even had a life jacket for the dog," Plott said.
When they realized the diesel engine blaze could not be contained, they sent out a "May-day" distress signal. Then they dove into the chilly Pacific.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt or how the fire started. The owners of the boat said they had purchased it three days ago.
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Nyree Arabian contributed to this report.
