No injuries reported in Lake of the Ozarks dock fire; four watercraft deemed total losses
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
No one was reported to be hurt after an early morning dock fire at the Lake of the Ozarks on Sunday.
According to Marine Trooper Dylan Green with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a fire broke out shortly after midnight at Dry Branch Cove. The cove is near the 4.5 mile marker of the lake's main channel.
The Rocky Mount Fire Protection District said the blaze occurred on Ontario Road, in a social media post. The fire district said four watercraft were burning and all were total losses. The fire chief later confirmed to ABC 17 News that two boats and two jet skis were involved.
Green said in a text message that the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District was also responding to the fire.
The cause was under investigation as of Sunday morning. RMFPD said a preliminary investigation revealed the believed cause to be a previous recreational fire that was not properly extinguished and reignited.
RMFPD Fire Chief Jonathan Trail said it appeared that a fire pit on the dock had embers that reignited when the wind blew in.
"It's believed that it [the wind] rekindled the fire, pushed some embers out, likely onto the boat covers that were on the vessel on the dock," Trail said.
He said there were people inside the home who were able to call emergency services once they realized the dock was ablaze.
"There were people present at the time of the fire, and I think that's the biggest takeaway, is there were people inside the residence; they weren't out on the dock," Trail said. "But they were still awake, they were alert, and they discovered the fire and reported it as quickly as they could."
Trail said it's important to make sure that embers from a recreational fire are cool before leaving it.
"We need to make sure that not only is the fire out, but it's cool. If the smoldering embers are allowed to continue to be hot, there's always potential for re-ignition of unburned materials," he said.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is cleaning up fuel in the water that spilled from both jet skis and one boat. Trail said the DNR will put out a device to soak up the petroleum, and the department will remove it once the sheen has disappeared from the water.
As for the watercraft, Trail said it's likely a local recovery company will pull them out of the water and dispose of them.
Check back for updates.
