OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — A waterfront home on Lake of the Ozarks was destroyed by fire on Monday, and firefighters were barely able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby structures amid windy conditions.
The residents at the house on Channelview Dr. were not home when the fire began, according to Osage Beach Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Mike Oakes. And when firefighters first arrived at the scene, they found the house — located all the way at the end of State Route KK — fully engulfed in flames. Neighboring homes on either side and a garage across the street were also in serious danger of catching fire as well.
The residence sat about 15 feet off the road, Oakes said, but due to the way the wind was blowing off the Lake of the Ozarks, he said the fire was blowing across the road. “It was debatable whether you should even drive trucks through there… the wind created a huge problem,” he added.
With no hydrants in the area, firefighters were forced to rely on water hauled in by tankers, which they utilized to protect the nearby homes, which escaped the ordeal only with damaged siding and minimal exterior damage.
Eventually fireboats made it to the scene, and helped in the effort, which was aided by Mid County, Lake Ozark, Sunrise Beach, and Gravois fire protection districts, in addition to OBFPD. However, the home was a total loss. Tragically, one pet perished in the blaze.
Due to the extent of the fire, Oakes said the cause could not be determined.
Oakes called it a “horrible loss for the property owner.” But he added the firefighters’ efforts “saved his garage and saved his neighbors’ houses… when we arrived we really weren’t sure we were going to be able to accomplish that.”
