Two Sweet Home women were severely burned in an apparent accident around a backyard fire pit early Saturday morning.

Paramedics transported Lynn Damewood, 31, and Courtney Lake, 21, to Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. They were later transported to Oregon Burn Center at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, according to police records. Damewood was taken to Oregon Health Sciences University with life-threatening burns. Lake also had serious burns that were not considered life-threatening.

At least four others were burned and treated by paramedics at the scene, said Laura Petersen, manager of Figaro’s and Damewood’s employer.

Some had burns to their hands from trying to put out the fire on the victims, she said.

“At approximately 2:13 a.m., police and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to 1131 28th Ave. with a report of burn victims at that location,” Sweet Home Police Chief Bob Burford said. “The initial police investigation revealed that a group of adults had been in the backyard, gathered around an established fire pit area.

“Initial statements said the fire had begun to die down when one of the residents of the property obtained a can containing gasoline or other fuel and poured it on the smoldering fire,” he said.

The fire engulfed the fuel, and people nearby were splashed with the burning liquid, Burford said.
Sweet Home Police Department is still attempting to piece together all of the events that took place, he said. No one has been charged in the incident.

Damewood, a delivery driver for Figaro’s, was burned over 40 percent of her body, Petersen said. The shock of her injuries could have been fatal, so doctors sedated her to a coma state.

As of Monday, she was reacting to stimuli, Petersen said. She was expected to survive, but she will remain at the burn unit for at least another six weeks.

Information on Lake’s condition was unavailable at press time. Petersen said she understood that Lake had suffered burns primarily around her legs.

Petersen said she has heard several different accounts of the incident, many of them untrue. She emphasized that the incident was “purely accidental.”

An account has been set up at Umpqua Bank to receive donations on behalf of Damewood and her husband, Jeremy, who also suffered minor burns.

On Sunday, April 26, Sweet Home Figaro’s will donate 100 percent of proceeds to the Damewoods, Petersen said. Former employees from the past three years have offered to donate their labor that day. Other stores throughout the state may donate as well, but those plans have not been finalized yet.