Occupants of a rural home outside Sweet Home escaped safely with their pets Sunday evening after a fast-moving fire destroyed a residence, vehicles, and spread into nearby vegetation, prompting a massive multi-agency response from across Linn County.
According to fire officials, the residents discovered the fire inside their single-family home on Wiley Creek Drive and called 911 at approximately 7:11 p.m. after evacuating safely. The emergency call came just 14 minutes after firefighters had been dispatched to a separate residential flue fire in the Cascadia area.
As crews from the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District were already responding to the Cascadia incident, one engine was diverted to the Wiley Creek Drive fire. An off-duty division chief responded with the engine, arriving first on scene and establishing incident command.
Upon arrival, the chief found the attached garage fully engulfed in flames, with fire spreading into the home. Two vehicles were also fully involved, and flames had extended into nearby wildland vegetation.
Recognizing the severity of the incident, the incident commander immediately requested a second alarm, bringing in additional personnel, engines, and water tenders. The Oregon Department of Forestry was also called to assist with protecting nearby wildland areas.
The fire presented significant challenges for responders. The rural property lacked fire hydrants, requiring water to be hauled to the scene. Firefighters faced temperatures reaching 93 degrees, low humidity, strong winds, and fire spreading through hidden void spaces within the structure.
Crews battled the blaze for more than an hour before a third alarm was requested.
The three-alarm response ultimately drew resources from nearly every fire agency in Linn County, along with assistance from one Lane County department. In total, 54 firefighters responded with seven engines, eight water tenders, two ambulances, two brush trucks, and four chief officers.
Departments assisting at the scene included Sweet Home, Lebanon, Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg, Tangent, Albany, and Mohawk Valley fire departments, as well as the Oregon Department of Forestry. An additional ambulance from Lebanon provided district coverage during the incident and completed one transport while crews remained committed to the fire.
Firefighters worked through the night to fully extinguish hot spots and prevent rekindling.
One firefighter was transported by ambulance to a local hospital after experiencing a medical event. Officials said the firefighter was in stable condition. No other injuries were reported.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control, while Pacific Power crews responded to address utility hazards at the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.
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