Arson suspected in Madisonville camp fire

Arson is suspected in the fire that burned the last camp near the Madisonville Boat Launch earlier this week.

Monday afternoon around 5:30, Fire Protection District 2 crews arrived at the abandoned camp off Main Street to find the structure completely involved in flames.

Chief Mike Stein said his crews immediately began a defensive attack on the structure because it was deemed a safety hazard.

After nearly an hour of battling, fire crews had the fire mostly extinguished but they remained on scene for the next several hours spraying the building down for hot spots that remained undetected under the collapsed roof.

“We basically worked continuously for several hours because the problem we were facing was the high wind kept igniting the debris,” Stein said.

Even though the structure was balanced on pylons, Stein said fire crews were unable to gain access under the camp because of instability reasons.

Currently, the cause of the fire is under investigation with arson being the main culprit.

“Since it was vacant and had no power running to the facility since Katrina destroyed it, of course arson is suspected,” Stein said.

The owner has yet to be contacted because he is out of the country.

Stein also thanked FPD 12 for manning the station while his crews were fighting the blaze.