Vallejo

Riverboat catches fire on the Vallejo waterfront

The Grand Romance, formerly a longtime Long Beach venue, caught fire for currently unknown reasons

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A once-famous riverboat docked near Vallejo caught fire and partially sank Saturday, according to firefighters. 

The Vallejo Fire Department said The Grand Romance riverboat, docked near the area of Lemon and Derr streets, caught fire sometime before 4:45 p.m. By the time firefighters had arrived, the boat had already sunk up to its first desk.

Four people were on the boat at the time of the fire, according to VFD. Two on the upper deck jumped into the water and were rescued by a passing boat, while the others were able to make it directly to land. No one was reported injured. 

Crews got the fire under control shortly before 6 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to VFD, but it is not currently considered intentional. 

The Grand Romance previously spent many years in Long Beach as a dinner and murder mystery cruise entertainment venue before losing its license in 2018. The boat was brought to Vallejo the next year, where it fell into disrepair.

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