LAKEVILLE —The driver of a recently purchased motorhome didn’t get the chance to enjoy his new buy after the camper caught fire on Monday, July 22 in Lakeville. 

The driver, whose identity is not known at this time, noticed the vehicle started smoking and flames emerged from the engine compartment, confirmed Lakeville Fire Chief Mike O’Brien. 

Lakeville firefighters responded to a call about a burning camper on Race Course Road around  6:30 p.m. to find the uninjured driver standing in front of the camper which was engulfed in flames, said O’Brien. 

The fire was probably caused by a mechanical failure, he said. 

The driver had reportedly just purchased the camper, a 1986 Ford Rockwood Motorhome, and was driving it home.  

By the time fire crews arrived, the entire front end of the vehicle was in flames, said O’Brien. 

It took two fire engines, a tanker, and 4,000 gallons of water to put the “stubborn” fire out. The truck had to be completely pulled apart to extinguish all the “hidden fires” within the vehicle, O’Brien said. 

Race Course Road was shut down while public safety officials worked to quell the flames and get the vehicle off the road.