At least four injured in Largo boat fire

LARGO, Fla. - Multiple people are recovering after a boat exploded and caught fire Sunday afternoon near Indian Springs Marina.

Pinellas Suncoast Fire Rescue were called to the marina at around 4 p.m. Sunday.

The boat's owner had just filled up the boat with fuel. Investigators said some of it overflowed and spilled. They said he cleaned it up, but when he tried starting the boat, it suddenly exploded. According to firefighters, smoke could be seen for miles.

"It becomes difficult because we have other boats in the area and with the fuel leaking on the water gasoline is highly flammable. So, there is a concern that any little bit of fire would have ignited the gasoline on the water," Pinellas Suncoast Fire Rescue District Chief Jeremy Sidlauskas said.

Hope Weil, 21, was sent to Bayfront St. Petersburg after suffering minor injuries to her legs. The impact from the explosion threw her into the water. Her father, 50-year-old David Weil, was also thrown from the boat onto a dock. He wasn't injured. Rescuers said he jumped in and pulled his daughter from the water.

Two other passengers in the group were knocked to the ground from the blast.

At least 100 gallons of fuel spilled into the water, forcing the marina to temporarily close as the U.S. Coast Guard worked to contain the spill.

At this time, firefighters said the fire does not appear to be suspicious. The boat is a total loss. The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation.