Fire destroyed a vacant house at 2221 Main St. on Tuesday evening, Aug. 18.
Firefighters responded to a report at 7:09 p.m. They arrived to find an involved structure fire that threatened two neighboring homes.
“One of the biggest problems was people trying to throw a garden hose at the fire,” said Battalion Chief Eli Harris, who was the incident commander. Once firefighters could keep the area clear between the burning house and one of the neighboring houses, they started spraying water on the neighboring home.
Harris said he saw blinds melted inside that residence.
The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District responded with 22 firefighters and three pieces of apparatus, assigning one to the burning house and one each to the threatened neighboring homes.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, Harris said. Two propane tanks were in the kitchen area within 5 to 10 feet of the origin of the fire, Harris said. One of the tanks might have vented, intensifying the fire.
The home had no power, Harris said. The meter had been removed, so the fire is suspicious.
“Nothing else could’ve started a fire but a person,” Harris said. “And they shouldn’t have been there.”
He said people have reportedly been in and out and squatting in the house.
Harris estimated the damage at about $60,000.
It took about an hour and a half to put out the fire and reopen the eastbound lanes of Main Street, said Fire Chief Dave Barringer.
Police have attempted to contact the home owner, Harris said, but it’s not clear who actually owns the home. According to Linn County records, the homeowners in 2014 were Joseph and Emma Morgan.
Anyone with information about the fire should call the Sweet Home Police Department at (541) 367-5181.