An attic fire destroyed the roof of a manufactured home on Catalpa Street Friday night after a fire started accidentally in bark dust outside the home.
The fire climbed arborvitae outside the home and ignited the attic and roof.
Firefighters responded to the home, 935 Catalpa St., at 6:42 p.m. They cleared from the fire a little after 11 p.m.
The home belongs to William and Norma Nestor. Neither was injured during the fire.
The fire got into the attic and created a difficult situation for the firefighters, Battalion Chief Dave Barringer said. The attic space in manufactured homes with vaulted ceilings is narrow, with insulation blown in.
Firefighters poked holes in the ceiling, but the blown insulation kept the water from reaching the fire the way it would in a site-built home, Barringer said. Firefighters had to chase the fire through the house, pulling down the ceiling as they went.
Sweet Home called the Brownsville Fire District to cover the station and Lebanon Fire District to help finish the fire, Barringer said. Sweet Home firefighters were becoming exhausted by that point.
Sweet Home had three engines and one brush rig on the scene.
The house was a total loss, Barringer said. He put the damage estimate at about $100,000, but firefighters were able to salvage about half of the home’s contents. An attached garage also was saved.