A huge inferno erupted aboard a €100 million luxury superyacht in the picturesque port of Saint-Tropez in the south of France, causing panic among tourists and yachtsmen at the tourist hot spot in the Mediterranean. The fire happened on July 10 when the 41-metre-long Sea Lady II yacht broke out into flames, the British paper The Independent reported.
Eyewitness video, taken by tourist Gary Sturrock, depicted the yacht enveloped in dense black smoke with bright orange flames erupting from the deck. Spectators at the port, a known haunt for high-net-worth celebrities and ultra-rich businesspeople, stood in stunned silence as the fire raged on. Authorities responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching firefighting units and deploying anti-pollution barriers to minimize environmental harm.
Oh my goodness! We just witnessed a luxury yacht Sea Lady II on fire in Port of Saint-Tropez. 😳 #sttropez #sainttropez pic.twitter.com/m9mW70E7G8
— Gary Sturrock (@GoatyG) July 10, 2025
Other yachts and boats in the vicinity were quickly removed from the area for safety reasons. Emergency personnel responded swiftly to prevent escalation, and there have been no reported injuries thus far.
Local authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire, but no immediate information has been released. The unexpected fire has raised serious questions over maritime fire safety and luxury yacht procedures, particularly in waters populated by expensive vessels.
Saint-Tropez, known for its glamorous lifestyle and celebrity sightings, was briefly shaken as news and video footage of the fire-hit yacht rapidly trended on social media. Maritime experts have re-emphasized the need for strict fire prevention measures on such high-value luxury private yachts.
This is just after another huge blaze-related tragedy at sea. In June, a cargo vessel called Morning Midas, which had been on fire in the Pacific Ocean, finally sank on June 23. That vessel, operated by Zodiac Maritime, was loaded with almost 3,000 vehicles including some 800 electric cars when it was left adrift due to the fire.
The Morning Midas fire was exacerbated by adverse weather, Zodiac Maritime reported. The vessel ultimately sank at approximately 16:35 local time (UTC -9) in water almost 5,000 metres deep and 360 nautical miles offshore. The company explained that the fire damage, added to water ingress due to poor weather, caused the sinking.
These two back-to-back mishaps, the Sea Lady II blaze in France and Morning Midas capsizing in the Pacific bring into question increased fears of ship fire safety, especially with respect to newer equipment and electric car shipments.
Both incidents are under investigation now, but the concern is that with more use of high-energy batteries and sophisticated electronics on ships, maritime fire threats will increase further unless stronger safety protocols are implemented everywhere.
For the moment, Saint-Tropez’s waters are peaceful once again, but the visions of the €100 million yacht aflame continue to linger in the minds of the public, a harsh reminder that even the most opulent boats are not invincible.
ALSO READ: Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, 100, Hospitalised After Complaints of Fatigue
