Police are investigating a yacht fire in Airlie Bay| Video

A woman accused of setting fire to a 40-foot yacht has been flown to Brisbane after she suffered burns to her legs from the blaze. WATCH THE VIDEO

A New Zealand woman accused of setting fire to a 40-foot yacht causing a loud explosion at Airlie Beach has been flown to Brisbane after she suffered burns to her legs from the blaze.

Emergency crews were called to Airlie Bay where a dramatic scene played out after flames were spotted coming from a vessel some distance off shore on September 9.

Fire crews spent four hours putting out the flames, which had caused a gas bottle on the yacht to explode.

As a result Sandra Lee Cootes is charged with arson and common assault over the Friday incident, as well as two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm on September 4.

It is alleged police were called about 5.40pm following reports of an assault and fire on the vessel.

Ms Cootes, 54, who was the only occupant on the boat at the time of the fire, had to jump into the water when flames engulfed the vessel.

She suffered burns to her legs and was taken to Mackay Base Hospital where she remained in a stable condition until Monday when she was flown to the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital.

Ms Cootes was arrested and charged on Saturday and denied watch house bail, however she remained in hospital under police guard.

Her case was mentioned in Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday.

There was no bail application made and matters were adjourned to Bowen Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

At this stage her appearance is not required.

EARLIER: Police have charged a New Zealand woman with arson following a dramatic fire that engulfed a yacht off Airlie Beach.

It comes after crews were called to reports of an assault and fire on-board the 40-foot yacht at 5.40pm on September 9.

A police spokesman said the woman, the sole occupant on the boat at the time, was forced to jump into the ocean when flames engulfed the vessel.

She was rescued by police and transported to Proserpine Hospital with serious injuries including burns to her legs.

Police will allege a 64-year-old man who lived with the 54-year-old woman on the yacht sustained minor injuries from an earlier disturbance and assault that day.

She has been denied watch house bail and is due to appear before in court on September 12, charged with one count each of arson and assault as well as two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm relating to earlier alleged incidents.

The woman remains in police custody in hospital.

Emergency services worked for hours to contain the dramatic yacht fire in Airlie Bay that caused a gas bottle to explode.

Ambulance, QFES and Volunteer Marine Rescue personnel were also involved in the response.

A QFES spokesman said the fire crew extinguished the blaze at 8.23pm and then proceeded to dampen down hot spots on the vessel.

VMR Whitsundays skipper Mal Priday said his squadron “took the fireys out” to the blaze on the Coral Sea Marina VMR 1, the service’s biggest boat.

“We do transport other services around,” he said.

“We provide that as part of what we do under the service agreement.

“That was actually our fourth activation in 18 hours.

“We have been very busy.”

Mr Priday said a gas cylinder blew up in the fire and created a powerful boom.

“I hear when the gas cylinder exploded it was heard as far away as Jubilee Pocket,” he said.

The incident has generated interest on social media, with a number of people flocking to Facebook to report their impressions on the Whitsundays Chat page.

“Huge boom in Jubes (Jubilee Pocket),” Lorraine Ireland wrote.

“Echoes all around the hills. Like a gas bottle explosion.”

Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing.