On a windy, frigid day, everything changed for Charles Hymes, a lifelong resident with deep history at Lake of the Ozarks.
At the end of State Route KK, with no hydrants nearby, a fire completely destroyed his home of 32 years. It was so intense that an Osage Beach Fire deputy said the cause could not be determined.
Thankfully, Hymes and his girlfriend Tracy Ames were not there at the time. They were at Walmart, strolling the aisles, when Hymes got a call from the neighbor.
Panic strewn in his voice, the friend delivered the devastating news: "Your house is engulfed in flames." He breathed a sigh of relief when Hymes informed him Ames was there at the store, not in the house. But the two hurriedly ended their shopping trip and drove home.
“It was too late,” Hymes said. “I went by the water park and could see the smoke… it was just sickening.”
He couldn’t watch the scene for long. PTSD from his service in Vietnam resurfaced, so they went to find a room for the night.
Firefighters’ efforts saved his garage and his neighbors' houses. “When we arrived, we really weren’t sure we were going to be able to accomplish that,” said OBFPD Deputy Chief Mike Oakes.
The fire on March 16, 2026, not only made the home a total loss, but it killed Hymes’ miniature pinscher. “His name was Colt... He was a pistol.”
To make matters worse, the home was not currently insured.
“My girlfriend is on oxygen. She had like six of those tanks in there, and when they went off, they really boomed,” Hymes recalled as he stood by a fireman. He told the fireman, “I know you’re wondering if I set it. I had no insurance on it.”
Hymes said his previous insurance company had announced a rate increase, so he dropped that insurer, and assumed he would be fine until starting with a new insurer in April. The past three decades with no incident had made him feel a little too secure.
While this fire certainly darkens Hymes’ long life at the Lake, he is holding onto fond memories.
“I had my own fishing boat when I was nine years old,” Hymes said. “I’d just get a bag of chips and a Coke and I’d be gone for a couple hours. I could swim like a fish. My parents never worried about me, and you could go out skiing on the 4th of July weekend. There was hardly any boats at all on the Lake when I was a youngster.”
His family moved to the area in 1944 when he was a few months old. Growing up, his grandfather and dad owned opposite ends of the Grand Glaize Bridge—something Hymes jumped off once or twice back when it was a single lane.
Those who’ve been at the Lake awhile might also remember Chet’s Restaurant (now Dominico’s Italian Restaurant): it was owned and operated by his father. The crew would cook right in front of the customers, and was reputed for achieving perfect results with electric cooking — a feat in those days.
Then came Chet’s Fun Spot and seaplane rides.
“In my high school years, me and my dad got into racing go-karts,” Hymes said. His dad was pretty good, even competing internationally for the USA and finishing third in a world championship in 1962. “Every weekend we were in another state while my mom ran the restaurant with a crew… that’s where I fell in love with fast boats and fast cars.”
Once, Hymes took the go-kart out while his dad was on vacation. He raced it across the bridge and claims he topped 100 mph. He was later paid a visit from Highway Patrolman, who only gave him a warning.
Hymes has lived an eventful life—handling maintenance at the track, skiing in the old water shows, selling boats, working for Central Dairy, and even working as a recovery diver in the Lake. He also built a reputation shooting pool, competing with teams in Las Vegas.
But through it all, he stayed where it started. “The Lake is in my blood.”
Amid all the reflections, Hymes recalled his brief stint as a volunteer firefighter after getting out of the military. “That was almost as scary as Vietnam. I hated going to those house fires. I’d rather be shot at,” Hymes said.
Now, he’s navigating the aftermath of one of those fires himself—with help he’d be unlikely to ask for on his own.
His daughter, Christina Nunes, has stepped in to lead that effort, starting a GoFundMe to help with expenses and organizing additional fundraisers through members of the Lake and pool communities. Those interested in supporting Charles and Tracy can donate here.
Hymes is staying with a friend for now as he searches for a temporary rental. Once the debris is cleared, he plans to check the foundation to determine whether a prefab home could be placed on the property.
For more information or to offer additional help, contact Christina Nunes at Christina67ss@gmail.com and watch her Facebook for fundraisers.
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