Fire destroys 2 recreational vehicles near Whitehouse

Blaze causes about $200,000 in damage

A Swanton firefighter surveys the scene after a fire consumed two campers at the Big Sandy campground Friday north of Whitehouse. No injuries were reported.

A fire Friday at Big Sandy Campground north of Whitehouse destroyed two campers and resulted in about $200,000 in damage.

The fire at the seasonal campground, 4035 S. Berkey-Southern Road, Swanton Township, was reported just after 4:50 p.m.

No one was staying at the campground and no injuries were reported, Whitehouse assistant fire chief Bill May said.

An investigation into the cause is ongoing, Mr. May said. He said it was possible some leaves caught fire and the situation could have quickly escalated from there, because flames were underneath one of the campers. He said the two campers were total losses.

“We’re gonna look around, and also take some pictures. There’s no way right at this point that we can pinpoint it,” Mr. May said while at the scene late Friday.

Whitehouse and Swanton fire departments responded to the scene, as well as a crew from the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, who responded as a precaution when a propane tank exploded.

The surrounding wooded area also briefly caught fire; a tanker truck watered down the property.