About 1725 on August 24, a fire was detected in the engine compartment aboard the commercial fishing vessel Hit List shortly after the vessel arrived at the Newburyport harbormaster's dock to offload its catch. The two owners on board attempted to fight the fire, but after smoke filled the cabin all four people aboard evacuated to the pier. The local fire department fought the fire using foam and water. The fire was extinguished about an hour later when the vessel partially sank alongside the pier. Approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into the Merrimack River. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $550,000.

​​The probable cause of the fire aboard fishing vessel Hit List​ was the failure of a hydraulic hose fitting that sprayed pressurized hydraulic oil onto the engine, eventually causing the oil to ignite. Contributing to the sinking was water applied during firefighting efforts and flooding through the rubber engine exhaust tubing, which the fire burned through.