Camper fire on Highway 5 now criminal investigation

An early-morning camper fire Dec. 10, on Highway 5, south of Gainesville near the Missouri-Arkansas state line, is part of a criminal investigation, and therefore little information is available, according to Timber Knob Fire Chief Nancy Winslow and the Missouri Fire Marshall’s Office. The Ozark County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation. According to the OCSD dispatch log, the call was reported about 45 minutes after midnight early Tuesday morning by a neighbor who said they heard bangs and then saw the travel trailer on fire. There was no one at home when the fire broke out, and therefore no injuries reported. Timber Knob Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene as the primary fire department, and mutual aid was provided by Timber Knob, Gainesville, Pontiac and Oakland, Arkansas Volunteer Fire Departments. The camper was fully engulfed when responders arrived, and it was a total loss. In the photo above, the Oakland VFD Fire Chief sprays water onto the blaze while a number of fire trucks are shown on the side of the roadway. The fire marshal’s office was contacted and responded to the scene. They requested that the OCSD also respond.