Nine Mid-Missouri fire departments battled cold as well as flames as a Sunday fire destroyed the Hedges-Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton.
Hampered by the extreme cold, a snowstorm and slick roads, 52 firefighters had to deal with frozen equipment and mild hypothermia throughout the long ordeal, according to Scott Frandsen, Mid-County Fire Protection District chief.
Frandsen said his department was called to the scene of the fire at 1270 South Business Missouri 5 at 8:34 a.m. Sunday.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered the building was fully engaged with heavy smoke being emitted from the second floor and attic areas.
By the time firefighters entered the building, the attic was already fully engulfed in flames. Despite a second alarm at 8:39 a.m. and multiple water lines dousing the interior of the building, the front canopy of the building collapsed within 10 minutes of the first call. No firefighters were injured, but several of the water lines were buried in the rubble.
Firefighters deployed more lines, but after 45 minutes, a third alarm called more resources to the scene. Although multiple Lake of the Ozarks area fire districts responded, heavy snow and slick roads hampered trucks coming to help.
At one point, a firefighter on the second floor became disoriented and had to be rescued by other crew members, Frandsen said. The man wasn't injured.
The fire was finally brought under control at about 12:30 p.m., but crews remained on the scene fighting hot spots until 4 p.m.
Frandsen said the Mid-County fire inspector and an inspector with the state Fire Marshal's Office believe the fire was accidental and started in the attic near a furnace.
Although the building is a total loss, firefighters were able to save a number of computers and business records that were in the office section of the building.
In addition to the Mid-County Fire District, units from Camdenton, Sunrise Beach, Osage Beach, Richland, Lebanon and Eldon had equipment and crews on the scene.