A STRANDED ferry on Point Walter’s sand bar has been removed after being destroyed by fire. 

Locals have been waiting for its removal since the ferry grounded on March 8. 

Last Friday the ferry caught fire just before 3.30am

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services crews extinguished the blaze and said the cause of the fire was “undetermined”. 

DFES were then called back to the sandbar at 7.58am as the ferry was “smouldering”. 

“Two appliances from Fremantle Fire and Rescue attended,” a spokesperson said.

“The vessel fire was extinguished by 9.24am.”

• The ferry was destroyed by a fire that took hold in the middle of the night, but fireys say they don’t know what caused it. Photos by Tim Johnson

The Department of Transport directed the Chook to DFES for “any questions regarding the fire” but DFES crews left the initial fire scene “with the local government and DoT officers”. 

Local resident Tim Johnson said the ferry has now been completely removed. 

“It seems to me that it took the burning of the boat to get somebody down here to actually do something about it,” Mr Johnson said. 

“I suppose it’s because it became such an eyesore, it was a big hunk of black graffitied charcoal sitting on the sand bar.”

Mr Johnson said he was “absolutely delighted” to see the ferry gone. 

”I’m very happy to have seen it finally gone and a bit disappointed that they didn’t do anything about it sooner,” he said. 

The Department of Transport said the removal was done “with the cooperation of the City of Melville” and said “environmental sensitivities [were] the priority for this operation”.

“The Department of Transport’s Maritime Environmental Emergency Response team and Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions officers have been monitoring the vessel, and controls have been put in place to ensure that any pollution risks from the fire are minimised.”

by ELOISE BUDIMLICH