Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The owner of a marina on Lake Wylie issued a warning Monday after several boats caught fire.
Terry James operates Terry’s Marina on Pine Harbor Road and said he believes the blaze started after a person put a lightbulb under their boat motor to keep the engine from freezing over the winter.
“It started with a boat that had a drop cord going to it, and they evidently had a lightbulb or something keeping the engine warm during the cold weather,” he said a short time after the fire. “That lightbulb set the boat on fire, which got away and burned three more boats up.”
Fire officials have not yet publicly released the cause of the fire; however, James was sure the bulb ignited the flames.
“I think the warning to everybody is that how dangerous it is to put a lightbulb under your motor to keep it warm,” James said. “This is a warning to all marina operators. I’m going to put in my contract that people cannot put a lightbulb in their boat. They cannot have a drop cord running to their boat during the winter months. This could happen at any marina. It’s just lucky that it didn’t damage anymore than it did.”
James said four boats and their slips were damaged, but that the structure itself did not collapse.
He said he built the slips himself, and will rebuild them in the future.
“I just hate that my customers lost their boats,” he said. “We’re going to notify them of what’s happened here.”
Kari Greenwood lives nearby and said she first caught wind of the fire after her husband came upstairs and told her the marina was on fire. After seeing it for herself, they called 911 and ran to James’ house and talked to his wife, who told Greenwood that he was in the building.
Greenwood said she saw “a bunch of explosions” and called the sight “pretty bad.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by WBTV News (@wbtv_news)
“I’m sorry for whatever anybody lost today
but I was extremely concerned with my house,” she said
it would’ve run up the hill and taken my house.”
but the four damaged slips were left black and charred
Firefighters battled the flames and hotspots for about an hour before bringing them under control
James has been in business since the 1960s and said Monday’s was only the second fire at his marina
Previous Coverage: Boat explosion causes massive fire at Lake Wylie marina: What we know
View this post on Instagram A post shared by WBTV News (@wbtv_news)
musty-smelling mats floating near the shoreline
That’s not harmless debris—it’s Lyngbya
a type of cyanobacteria (also known as Microseria wollei) that’s been spreading rapidly across southern reservoirs
nutrient-rich water that can clog boat motors
A major effort is now underway to fight back
the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group
is launching a coordinated treatment plan across all three lakes
A total of 60 acres will be treated this season
using EPA-approved algaecides applied by Aqua Services
While you may see airboats dispersing a bright blue liquid near the shoreline
rest assured—it’s safe for people
Learn more about Mountain Island Lake Lyngbya Management
Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A boat explosion caused a massive fire at a Lake Wylie marina Monday morning, according to fire officials.
The explosion happened on Monday, Dec. 9, around 10:30 a.m. in Charlotte’s Steele Creek division at Terry’s Marina. That’s right at the North-South Carolina line.
Officials with the Charlotte and Steele Creek Fire Departments were working the explosion-turned-fire, though no other details were immediately released from those departments.
Terry James, the owner of Terry’s Marina, told us that four of his customer’s boats caught fire from the explosion.
“It started with a boat that had a drop cord going to it,” James explained. “They evidently had a light bulb or something keeping the engine warm during cold weather. That light bulb set the boat on fire which got away and burned three more boats up.”
The boat house did not collapse and the fire was eventually contained, though James said four slips were damaged and needed to be replaced.
“I think the warning to everybody is how dangerous it is to put a light bulb under your motor to keep it warm from freezing in the winter,” James said.
Queen City News
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Someone in Charlotte rang in the new year by purchasing a sprawling lakefront home
the gated property at the end of Sweetleaf Place sold for $5.6 million
Sitting on 11 acres along the shores of Lake Wylie
its main house is a staggering 15,000 square feet.
the behemoth is flanked by an eight-car garage
and spans two-and-half stories with a fully finished basement
It’s part of The Sanctuary subdivision off Shopton Road West and is direct neighbors with two undeveloped plots
The home may be far off the beaten path relative to the rest of Mecklenburg County – it’s five miles to the nearest grocery store – but its location is convenient by boat to the Drift restaurant
Treasure Island and the South Point Beach Park.
The selling agent was Ben Bowen with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
County real estate records show the property last sold for $1.8 million in 2005
and was valued at $5.5 million in January 2024.
these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025
Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career
show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift
National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5
take advantage of these freebies and deals
Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene
Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene
Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene
YORK COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Floating debris on Lake Wylie
has prompted a warning to boaters from local law enforcement
“Boat at your own risk,” the York County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday after the deadly and catastrophic Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction through the area including widespread flooding that forced some to evacuate from the area
and debris and will be hazardous to anyone planning on heading out on a boat
law enforcement encouraged boaters to wait until all of the debris has been removed from the lake
Residents in the North Carolina mountains that continue to be impacted by the storm flocked to Shelby this week to stock up on water supplies and other essentials
So far, the death toll from the storm has surpassed 100
(QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The local lake waters may seem calm now
but authorities say they are still dangerous.
The York County Sheriff’s Office sent an advisory that although Lake Wylie is technically open to boaters
“you may want to reconsider” until the water is clear
The reservoir is part of the Catawba River chain
which has seen extensive flooding from Hurricane Helene over the last several days
trash and debris from the destructive storm. As of 4 p.m
NC – The Charlotte Fire Department says it is helping Steele Creek Fire with a reported boat explosion at a marina on Lake Wylie
Firefighters say four boats and a dock were damaged
– The York County Coroner’s Office is investigating a drowning at Lake Wylie after recovering a missing boater’s body
the Coroner’s Office responded to East Liberty Hill Road in Clover to investigate the drowning and identified the victim as 41-year-old Christopher Dellinger
An autopsy and toxicology is underway and the death is being investigated
YORK COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Authorities recovered the body of a missing swimmer on Lake Wylie Tuesday evening
The York County Coroner’s Office identified the person as 41-year-old Christopher Dellinger of Bessemer City
emergency crews resumed their search of the area where the swimmer was last seen
Each boat was working in a grid pattern using sonar and other methods
“The weather is not great at the moment
but we are continuing the search,” the YCSO said Monday night
The York County Sheriff’s Office Lake Patrol Unit
and Carolina Dive and Rescue assisted the SC Department of Natural Resources with locating the missing swimmer
Autopsy and toxicology will be completed later this week as the death is under investigation by the Department of Natural Resouces and the York County Coroner’s Office
This website is unavailable in your location
It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States
therefore access cannot be granted at this time
SC — Lake Wylie can expect a rush of people this Independence Day
They should be used to it because they’ve seen a rush of people moving there for decades
Lake Wylie’s population has nearly doubled since 2000
Just ask the chairman of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
“There are folks here that were here before there were any stores,” said Ledford
“We obviously have seen a lot of growth in businesses
The challenges there are getting the right types of businesses,” explained Ledford
Ledford said they’d like to bring in business that skews towards the early 30s-mid 40s age demographic
“We have one of the top school systems in the entire state
and that has been extremely attractive to younger families moving in,” Ledford said
The groundwork has been laid for Lake Wylie High School and a brand new elementary school set to open in 2026
“We’ve known that was going to be an absolute necessity for about four years now with the projected growth,” explained Ledford of the high school
The new high school will be just a couple of miles south of the intersection of highways 49
but it will soon be the location of the newest Harris Teeter
Five Points is going to end up being really the center of Lake Wylie,” said Ledford
all major decisions and funding come from York County
there were discussions about becoming its own municipality
There’s been a lot of growth since then
there’s now new plans to create a committee to weigh the pros and cons of going it alone
“I believe it will be a positive step forward
But until we all get through the study and see the actual numbers
TEGA CAY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The body of a teen swimmer who went missing in Lake Wylie was found on Monday afternoon
according to the Tega Cay Police Department
The York County Coroner’s Office has identified the teenager as 16-year-old Logan Gurley
Authorities said he was found underwater while swimming with friends
Authorities had gotten a 911 call around 4 p.m
about a “swimmer in distress” who went missing from Pitcairn Park in Tega Cay
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim and those involved,” said Tega Cay Police Chief Crosby
“Please hug your loved ones closer tonight
as a family in our community will go to sleep without a member of theirs.”
The investigation is still ongoing with Tega Cay Police and the York County Coroner’s Office
This incident comes just days after a swimmer drowned in Lake Norman over the July 4th holiday
Home » News » Fish kill causing stench at Wylie Lake caused by algae bloom
An algae bloom has caused a large fish kill at Wylie Lake
will retire next month after 46 years of working……
More cabins at the Wylie Park campground are part of the many plans the city park department has for 2025……
Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it plans to spend up to $1 billion in Commodity…