Lobsterman Kevin Mello was out fishing all day Monday and tied up back at his slip at Westport Point around 6 p.m. Five hours later, his boat Ocean Hunter was afire.

Firefighters and police were called to the point around 11:15 p.m. after a passing fisherman spotted heavy smoke and a “flicker” of fire in the wheelhouse, assistant harbormaster Rick Smith said Thursday.

“They had it knocked down in four minutes,” he said. “The fire department — we’re really lucky to have them.”

Smith said state fire marshals are still investigating but are leaning toward the fire being electrical in nature, and not suspicious. Damage was confined to the wheelhouse area and while paneling and electronics were destroyed, Mello “got lucky,” Smith said.

“One thing that really has to be stressed is that god was on our side,” the assistant harbormaster said. “Westport was lucky. There was no strong wind. No damage to the docks, no lines were burned, the vessel stayed at its slip. The water is clean, no fuel spill or environmental hazard to the waterway.”

About four hours before the fire was thought to have begun, the captain of F/V Hard Labor was being called to the carpet by the select board for alleged breaches of dock etiquette and rules and an ugly feud with Kerian and Kristin Fennelly, the owners of Westport Sea Farms.

Given a tense situation at the docks and the existence of a letter signed by six point captains seeking sanctions against Hard Labor Capt. Ben Leuvelink, there was speculation in Westport this week that the fire might be related.

But Smith said video shows nobody on the dock before, during and after the time the fire is thought to have started.

Video shows the first light whisp of smoke around 10:15 p.m. By 11:15 p.m., the passing fisherman saw heavy smoke and that flicker, and heavier smoke five minutes later. First responders were called and by 11:26 p.m., police and fire were on scene.

The boat was towed to Tripps Boatyard the next morning and is currently on the hard awaiting repairs.