MANTA, Ecuador — A massive fire ripped through the artisanal fishing docks of Manta, one of the primary Pacific fishing hubs in Ecuador, completely destroying dozens of vessels and leaving two people with critical injuries.

The disaster heavily impacted the local fishing community on Sunday, June 7, 2026 as spectacular fireballs shot into the sky and dense black smoke blanketed the harbor.

According to official assessments released by Ecuador's National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR), the fire affected a total of 35 vessels docked closely together at the pier. The final damage toll includes at least 14 medium-sized fiberglass fishing boats and 21 smaller artisanal launches completely gutted by the flames.

Initial police investigations indicate the disaster began as a localized accident. A fire broke out during routine maintenance welding work being carried out on a vessel docked at the pier. Because the surrounding boats were constructed of fiberglass and wood, the highly flammable materials allowed the fire to intensify rapidly.

The situation escalated dramatically when the extreme heat caused the mooring lines of the initial vessel to melt and break loose. Unmoored and fully ablaze, the vessel drifted uncontrollably across the water, setting off a chain reaction that ignited adjacent boats and created a moving wall of fire inside the fishing basin.

Emergency services mobilized immediately to establish a perimeter and combat the floating inferno. While firefighters managed to bring the main body of the blaze under control, heavy machinery had to be brought to the docks to dismantle and extract the charred, smoldering remains of the hulls.

Medical personnel confirmed that two individuals sustained severe, life-threatening burns. Governor of Manabí, Aurora Valle, specified that both victims were on board the initial vessel where the welding work was taking place when the explosion occurred. They remain hospitalized in critical condition.

Given the ongoing security challenges and gang disputes in the Manabí province, rumors quickly circulated suggesting the fire was a coordinated cartel attack. However, Governor Valle firmly dispelled those reports during a press briefing.

"We rule out, in the first instance, that this was what many are trying to speculate and sow terror among citizens," Governor Valle stated. "It is not an attack; we see from the videos that the fire originated in a vessel."

An inter-institutional technical committee—including local port authorities, risk management agencies and the Prosecutor's Office—has been formed to formally investigate the incident and compile a full registry of the severe economic losses facing the local fishermen. Simultaneously, the Ministry of the Environment has launched an emergency assessment to monitor and mitigate the environmental impact of melted fiberglass and fuel spillage into the Pacific ecosystem.