Courtesy Ventura City Fire Department

The fires at the Ventura Marina this morning caused an estimated $260,000 in damage, authorities said.

Courtesy Ventura City Fire Department

Firefighters on Wednesday morning extinguished fires that destroyed two boats and damaged a third.

Police and Fire: Two boats were destroyed and a third was damaged early this morning by fires at the Ventura Marina, authorities said.

Firefighters responding about 2:40 a.m. to a report of a boat on fire in the marina near Spinnaker Drive in Ventura found a 42-foot sailboat and a 36-foot powerboat on fire, said Battalion Chief David Frost of the Ventura City Fire Department.

The two boats that were on fire were badly damaged when firefighters arrived, and after controlling the fires, emergency responders moved boats next to the fires out of harm’s way, Frost said.

“The big goal was to save the other boats that were right up next to it,” he said.

The fires were extinguished by about 3:15 a.m. No injuries were reported.

The sailboat and the powerboat were totally destroyed, and a 30-foot sailboat sustained moderate damage. The total damage from the blazes was estimated at $260,000, Frost said.

It was not clear this morning what started the fires, though they were being investigated as suspicious.

A pollution control team from the U.S. Coast Guard in Santa Barbara came to the marina this morning to control runoff from the damaged boats.

A total of 29 members of the Ventura City and Ventura County fire departments participated in the firefighting effort at the marina, Frost said. Ventura police, Channel Islands Harbor Patrol and Ventura Harbor Patrol officers assisted.

----------

Traffic: At 6:50 a.m., the California Highway Patrol was reporting a solo car crash on Highway 101 southbound just north of Del Norte Boulevard in Oxnard. An ambulance responded to the scene of the crash.

The CHP this morning was also warning motorists to watch out for a man walking near the center divider of Highway 101 southbound just north of Seacliff north of Ventura and a tire tread causing a hazard in the number two lane of Highway 101 northbound just north of State Beaches north of Ventura.

----------

Weather: After some low clouds and fog this morning, mostly sunny and breezy conditions with high temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s are expected today, the National Weather Service reported.

A wind advisory is in effect through 3 p.m. today for local mountains, where gusts up to 50 miles per hour are expected.