Camper engulfed by flames in Mission
EMILY MESSER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
St. Ignatius and Charlo-Moiese Fire Departments put out a camper-trailer fire on Sunday morning in St. Ignatius. (Jason Acheson/Courtesy of St. Ignatius Police)
Emily Messer joined the Lake County Leader in July of 2025 after earning a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Montana. Emily grew up in the rolling hills of southeast Missouri. She's lived in Montana since 2022 and honed her reporting craft through the UM J-School newspaper and internships at the RMEF Bugle Magazine and the Missoulian. At the Leader, she covers government, business, education, agriculture and community news. Contact Emily Messer at [email protected] or 406.883.4343 | December 31, 2025 11:00 PM
At around 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, St. Ignatius Fire and Police departments were dispatched to a 20-foot camper in flames, which was being lived in and parked in the backyard of a house on Third Avenue in St. Ignatius.
Fire Chief Paul Adams described it as "a total loss,” and said the flames also ignited an outbuilding nearby. Mutual aid was requested from the Charlo-Moiese Volunteer Fire Department. Adams said with approximately 18 firefighters, five type-one structure unit trucks and one water tender, the fire was extinguished in about two and a half hours.
Due to the number of items in the outbuilding, Adams said they had to return an hour later to put out the materials that were still smoldering inside. He said it took about 3,000 gallons to quench the fire.
Police Chief Jason Acheson said at this time, there is no evidence to indicate that the fire resulted from a criminal act. Based on the occupants' statements, the fire may have been caused by a heat source.
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I would like to take this opportunity to officially introduce myself. My name is Emily Messer, and I am honored to be taking on the role of editor at the Lake County Leader.
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