Many of vessels at the Showboat Marina in DeLand were houseboats, Volusia County fire officials said, and dozens of residents were evacuated. DeLand is about 25 miles north of Orlando.
WKMG-TV in Orlando reported that one man was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center with severe burns and was in critical condition. A second person was treated at the scene and released, the station said.
Several sinking boats leaked fuel into the St. Johns River, said Chris Russel of the state Department of Environmental Protection. He said containment buoys were placed along the river to catch the spillage.
``A lot of it obviously burned off in the fire, but some petroleum products have been released due to the boats sinking,'' he said.
State fire marshals were on the scene in hopes of determining the cause of the fire, which was under control but still burning, WKGM reported.
