It was 4:47 p.m. Sept. 7, when a call was made to the Ozark County Sheriff’s 911 dispatch office reporting a fire at historic Dawt Mill. That call set into motion the coordinated effort of more than 40 firefighters from eight different departments, sheriff’s deputies, ambulance EMTs and others that saved the structure from the blaze and has allowed the historic landmark to remain standing for yet another chapter of history.
The first 911 call reporting the fire was made by a resident who lives nearby after he saw what he thought was a dust cloud around the mill, a common occurrence given that a gravel county road runs through Dawt Mill Resort’s location, and vehicles often kick up dust as they pass through. However, as the suspected dust cloud lingered, the man suspected something wasn’t right. He went down to the resort and noticed dark smoke starting to spill from the roof. There wasn’t anyone on site, as the resort had transitioned to its winter hours the weekend before. He immediately called 911.
A second call reporting smoke was made to the 911 office by a fisherman who was casting a line near the bridge that crosses the North Fork of the White River on the county road near the mill. He told a dispatcher that he heard a popping noise and then saw smoke. He also suspected a fire within the mill.
In response, a dispatch tone rang out, calling for Tecumseh VFD firefighters and several other area departments to respond to the area for a reported fire. It was six minutes later when the first firefighter arrived.
“[Tecumseh volunteer firefighter] Dan Israel was the first on scene with turnout gear, and I pulled up next with our [fire] engine,” said Tecumseh Assistant Fire Chief J.B. Duke last week. “We knew right away that there was fire, because the plastic keypads at the two doors were melted.”
Duke and Israel went onto the front porch of the mill to get a look inside the structure where they saw flames.
“We busted out the two windows in the front of the mill and started fighting the visible fire behind them right there at the two big front doors to get things cooled down while everyone else got on scene,” he said.
As smoke continued to escape from the roof and firefighters started their initial attack inside, Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin and Sheriff’s Sgt. Seth Miller pulled up and asked how they could help.
Duke handed the sheriff the fire hose, and situated him and Miller at the door, directing them to spray the water into the structure from there.
In the meantime, Gainesville VFD arrived with the county’s only ladder truck, which firefighters parked directly in front of the mill, allowing the ladder to be extended onto the second-story roof of the historic structure. Firefighters with Gainesville and Caulfield VFDs worked to climb the ladder, situate themselves on the roof and remove ventilation structures and cut other venting holes through the roof so heat could escape and water could be sprayed in from above. West Plains Fire Department arrived on scene with its ladder truck and firefighters to help soon after, and other fire departments also began arriving on scene. Firefighters from Bakersfield, Caulfield, Dora and Lick Creek VFDs all responded.
Firefighters began outfitting themselves with self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) or “air pacs” and protective gear and entered the smoke-filled structure. They fought the fire on the first floor, and continued to fight the blaze in the upper level above the kitchen.
Although there were 43 firefighters from eight departments and 14 “apparatuses,” meaning fire engines, tankers, trucks and other vehicles or equipment, Duke says they were lacking firefighters who could safely enter the building.
“Our main issue was having enough personnel with air pacs. You can only go into a building with an air pac so you’re safe and able to breathe inside in the smoke. That’s why we kept calling for more help from other departments,” Duke said, explaining that there are not many volunteer firefighters trained in using the SCBAs inside structures in Ozark County now. “We usually send a group of two to three firefighters [inside the building] at a time at each door. We had two doors there [at Dawt Mill]. That means we need four to six firemen just to go inside at a time. Then after about 10 to 20 minutes, we pull them out and send in another crew of four to six firemen, while the others cool down and rest. Now, all those firemen need other firemen who are dragging hoses and doing other things for them. So, really, you need about 10 firemen at each of the two doors at a time,” Duke said.
As firefighters took shifts going inside, Duke used a thermal device, which allowed him to point the device at the mill and see “hot spots” where fire was still burning. He then directed firefighters to go to those spots to make the most use of their firefighting efforts.
“Everything went good. Everyone worked together really well,” Duke said. “We are happy that no one was hurt, the building was still standing and we were able to do what we could. Our response time was quick, six minutes, and I really can’t imagine a better outcome.”
Duke said that firefighters determined the fire started in the kitchen of the mill, which is a total loss. Flames did work their way out two safety “fire doors” in the kitchen, causing the blaze to spread into parts of the other structure. He said that most of the rest of the structure sustained only smoke damage.
Duke said over the years, he’d discussed the possibility of a fire at Dawt Mill with other fire chiefs and firefighters in the area, as they’ve imagined a fire could easily break out within the old, beloved structure, which has housed a restaurant for many years.
“We’ve talked about it several times… about what we’d do if Dawt Mill ever caught fire. We didn’t necessarily train on it, but we’d worked out a plan in our minds. Things like where we’d have to put the ladder truck and that we’d need to pull water up from the river. We’d talked about it years ago, and we just kind of put that same plan into effect at the actual fire. I think that really helped, having thought it all through before,” Duke said.
Dawt Mill Resort Controller Dianna Sigert says that the staff at the resort are extremely thankful for all those who worked to save the old mill.
“We would like to thank all of the fire departments and first responder personnel for their help and quick response. We are thankful there were no injuries to anyone,” she told the Times.
Sigert says the resort’s insurance adjuster is currently processing a routine fire investigation, but plans to renovate and repair the mill are already in place. They anticipate that it will be restored and reopened by spring.
“We also would like to thank our customers for their past loyalty, especially those customers that had the opportunity to experience service from [the restaurant] Hearthside in the Mill this season. While we recover from this set-back, lodging and floating are still available as they have been. Food service is available from the Chef’s Table by reservation.”
According to A History of Ozark County, 1841-1991, a mill is thought to have operated on the site as early as 1866. Current owner Dr. Ed Henegar purchased the mill in 1995 and built a resort around the historic structure, utilizing the structure itself for various thing through the years - a restaurant and lodging most recently.
The impressive work by the firefighters on scene of the Dawt Mill fire is a testament to the dedication of the small group of volunteers who make up Ozark County’s many volunteer fire departments. The vast majority of those who responded and fought the fire that day are unpaid volunteers who continue to choose to leave their jobs, homes and lives at the tone of a radio to help their neighbors in their most desperate hour. Most of the fire departments are not tax-funded in any way and rely only on dues paid by residents in the district and fundraisers. (The exception is Gainesville VFD, which is funded through a half-cent Gainesville city sales tax supplemented as needed from the city's general revenue fund. Gainesville city limit residents do not have fire dues).
To find out which district your house lies within and how to pay dues or volunteer to be a firefighter or serve on a fire department board, contact Ozark County Fire Chief Association Vice President Khristie Jacquin at pppvfdept@gmail.com. Jacquin also serves as Pontiac-Price Place VFD fire chief.
504 Third Steet PO Box 188 Gainesville, MO 65655