An early morning fire destroyed a home on Rowell Hill Sunday, March 8, Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District reported.
At 7:20 a.m. Sunday, Sweet Home firefighters were dispatched to the fire, at 27118 Rowell HIll Road, arriving to find it fully engulfed, SHFAD said in a statement.
The single occupant of the home, who escaped the fire, reported that it started when she struck a match to light her woodstove and the head of the matchstick broke off, falling onto her couch, SHFAD reported.
County records list the property owner as Marilee Williams.
The fire quickly spread throughout the double-wide manufactured home, and was reported to 911 by neighbors.
The SHFAD incident commander requested a second alarm upon leaving the station when a large header of smoke could be seen.
Fire rages in a manufactured home on Rowell Hill early Sunday morning as firefighters arrive to
battle the flames, which destroyed the dwelling. – Photo by Scott SwansonThe first fire unit arrived on scene at 7:26 a.m. and responders found half of the structure fully involved, with flames from every window and venting through the roof, while the other half of the structure was charged with black smoke.
Engine crews arrived and had water on the fire at 7:33 a.m. and the fire was knocked down at 7:45.
Water supply was provided by shuttling water tenders, utilizing tenders from Sweet Home, Lebanon and Brownsville. Crews remained on the scene, overhauling the structure for three more hours, as access was difficult due to the heavy structural damage that made it unsafe for firefighters to enter all areas of the home.
The second alarm assignment resources included an engine, water tender and battalion chief from Lebanon Fire, and a water tender from Brownsville Fire.
In total, there were 12 units and 24 firefighters responded. No firefighters were injured; however, one person was transported to a local hospital by ambulance for evaluation.
The home and its contents are a complete loss, and a vehicle that was parked near the home sustained minor damage from radiant heat, SHFAD reported.