Blaze destroys houseboats at Deep Creek marina near Murray River on Victorian, New South Wales border

LOCALS joined firefighters to help save several houseboats from a devastating blaze on the Murray River last night. Police will investigate the fire, which took hold during the bordertown’s peak tourism season.

A CRIME scene has been established after a devastating blaze destroyed several houseboats on the Murray River at the Victorian/New South Wales border.

Police are investigating after nine house boats caught fire, spreading like ‘dominoes’ to other vessels in the Deep Creek Marina at Moama about 6pm Thursday.

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More than 100 other boats at the Perricoota Rd marina were at risk of being destroyed by the wild flames, which reportedly took firefighters two hours to bring under control.

Concerned locals joined in the firefighting efforts, cutting moorings lines to save other boats from the leaping flames.

Police were told the blaze spread quickly to eight other boats.

Houseboat fires at Deep Creek Marina, Moama. Picture Courtesy The Riverine Herald

Brod Fenlon, from Victoria, was among a large group of locals who sprang to action.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

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One of the boats on fire. Picture: Facebook/Liquid Assets Houseboats and Horse Trucks.

The aftermath of the boat fire. Picture: Facebook/Liquid Assets Houseboats and Horse Trucks.

Mr Fenlon said about 30 members of the public helped emergency services release the house boats from the dock and push them away from the flames.

“It’s devastating that we lost 10 boats, but there were 120 boats there and we managed to save most of them,” he said.

Sorry it's taken a while but here's the scene near Moama after last night's fire that destroyed 10 houseboats, smell of burnt fibreglass still in the air pic.twitter.com/JQO9cDULYn

— Peter Lenaghan (@peterlenaghan) December 14, 2017

Major fire #Moama @FRNSW & @NSWRFS in attendance. Excellent work by FF in tough conditions - assessing waterways for any spillage #FRNSW #RFS #oneteam pic.twitter.com/nIDZcPKKgF

— Stewart Alexander (@FRNSW_RS3) December 14, 2017

Houseboat fire #Moama - waterways booms set up to limit spillage. Great work by all. @FRNSW @NSWRFS @MarineRescueNSW #FRNSW pic.twitter.com/BG39ahK00V

— Stewart Alexander (@FRNSW_RS3) December 14, 2017

Mr Fenlon said his own houseboat was not affected by the fire, but many of those helping had boats that were threatened by flames.

“It will certainly hurt so close to Christmas, but you have to be thankful no one was injured ... it could’ve been much worse,” he said.

One woman whose boat was moored in the marina at the time said the blaze was devastating.

“Our thoughts are with all our neighbours who lost their boats. We are extremely grateful to all those who bravely saved ours along with five others,” she wrote on Facebook in the aftermath.

“No words could describe the scene tonight. So many families affected by this. So sad.”

Fireys also worked to contain fuel spilling into the Moama marina.

NSW Fire & Rescue spokesman Norm Buckley said no one was injured.

Images from the scene show the boats reduced to charred skeletons.

It remains unclear what sparked the blaze, Mr Buckley said.

An investigation is underway into what caused the blaze.

House boats at Deep Creek Marina, Moama. Picture Steve Huntley