A fire broke out on a barge in the water near Hamilton Princess yesterday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the blaze started at about 8.30 a.m. when a generator on the barge caught fire.

Fire spokeswoman Lt. Wenda Roberts said that the fire had already been extinguished when the fire fighters arrived on the scene.

"The construction crew had a crane, and they dropped (the generator) overboard. By the time we arrived, the fire was out and the generator was underwater," said Lt. Roberts.