Fire in Collinsville closes road, leaves heavy damage

A two-structure fire Wednesday night shut down part of Collinsville Road as crews battled wind to put the blaze out.

State Park Fire Department Assistant Chief Mike Mason said a camper just a few feet behind a house in the 8600 block of Collinsville Road caught fire, which then spread to the house. Neither structure was occupied at the time of the fire.

The heavy winds left crews battling the blaze for at least an hour, as the hot spots in the camper kept flaring up. The camper looked to be a total loss, as most of the siding had either burned away or was torn down.

A witness said he heard a pop, then the flames started, but Mason said there weren’t any large explosions that caused the fire. As of Wednesday night, authorities were unsure of the cause.

The residents of the camper were not home when the fire started, Mason said.

Gas meters at the back of the house melted in the heat of the fire and spewed natural gas for most of the fire, until Ameren arrived at about 9:15 p.m. and shut off the gas line. A small propane tank in a utility room may have exploded during the fire.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Fire in Collinsville closes road, leaves heavy damage."