Woodburn Independent Online

Fire consumes Woodburn garage, damages house

Cause of Thursday fire unknown

• By: Amanda Newman  
• Published: 12/17/2009 11:45:02 AM

Consumed by flames
The garage took the brunt of the damage in Thursday's house fire.

Fire districts from throughout the area converged in Woodburn early this morning (Thursday) to fight a fire that claimed a garage and damaged a house.
 
“It was pretty severe,” said Cpt. Paul Iverson of the Woodburn Fire District. “The garage was a total loss, and the house was damaged.”
 
At 3:21 a.m., Woodburn and Aurora fire districts responded to a report of smoke in the garage at 9514 Broadacres Road. While en route, crews were updated with information from additional callers: the garage was on fire and all occupants were out of the house.
 
Arriving, the first engine reported the single-car attached garage was engulfed in flames and the fire was progressing into the house. The crews made an aggressive transitional attack, knocking down the fire in the garage and transitioning into the house through the front door.
 
WFD initially responded with one engine, a ladder, two water tenders and an air support unit and Aurora Fire District sent one engine and a water tender from the Donald Station. Incident Command later requested a second alarm for additional crews, and WFD sent an additional engine and tender. Hubbard Fire District also sent an engine and St. Paul Fire District responded with a water tender, while Marion County Fire District No. 1 and Monitor Fire District provided coverage at Woodburn’s Headquarters Station.
 
The fire consumed most of the garage and left the two-bedroom, single story house with significant smoke and heat damage. The cause is yet unknown.
 
“I’m still investigating,” Iverson said. “I have not gotten a cause yet.”
 
Thursday’s house fire was the latest in a string of fires throughout the area. Iverson said WFD responded to four house fires last week – “They’re not all related, (but) it’s been busy.”
 
One of last week’s fires was chimney related, another started in an outdoor kitchen, and a third came from furnace failure in a mobile home. Iverson said cause has not been determined for the fourth, but it may have been electrical.

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