A spark from a farm mower triggered the natural cover fire that closed a portion of Missouri 42 near Osage Beach for more than four hours last Friday.
Osage Beach Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Dorhauer said his department received a call that a fire was in progress at about noon on Friday.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found a large section of woods and brush burning out of control near Missouri 42 in Miller County. The fire, which had apparently been started by a spark from a mower blade striking a rock, eventually burned some 400 to 500 rural acres near Lake of the Ozarks State Park.
Dorhauer said the flames, fueled by high winds and extremely dry conditions, caused the fire to spread rapidly, and it took the efforts of 15 fire departments - from as far away as Jefferson City, as well as the help of the Missouri Highway Patrol, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Transportation - to bring it under control.
"We had firefighters in several locations and a airplane from the Highway Patrol and a helicopter from the Department of Conservation flying over the area acting as spotters for the firefighters down below," Dorhauer said. "At one point we even had a bulldozer out there cutting a firebreak."
When the flames, which burned a large section of timber and underbrush between Rock Quarry Road and Aspen Road on either side of Missouri 42, jumped the roadway also damaged some highline poles and three unoccupied structures.
Dorhauer said while the flames did come close to several homes in the area, no occupied structures were damaged and no one was injured.
Firefighters remained on the scene until just after 7 p.m. Friday evening to make sure the wind did not re-ignite the fire.