Lebanon Fire District firefighters responded to two fires involving kitchens last week, one on Cedar Drive and the other on Weldon Road.
Cedar Drive Fire
At 10:07 a.m. Friday, Jan. 2, LFD responded to a structure fire in the 200 block of W. Cedar Drive.
Upon arrival, the incident commander found light smoke coming from the eaves of the roof of a single-family residence.
Two adults and two small children had already evacuated prior to firefighters’ arrival; however, an elderly female was still inside the home. Interior conditions were relatively free of smoke, allowing firefighters to quickly enter and safely escort her outside.
Occupants had been alerted by a burning smell and bubbling paint on the kitchen wall and promptly called 911. Their quick action helped keep the fire from growing larger, and all occupants were able to escape safely. No injuries were reported.
While some firefighters located the fire inside a wall and worked on extinguishing it, others performed a thorough search for occupants of the building and pulled additional hoselines for protection.
Firefighters discovered that the fire had spread unnoticed for some time into the attic space, where it burned through portions of the truss members. Occupants reported recent electrical issues, including half of the home losing power sometime the previous evening, which may have been related. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firefighters remained on scene for approximately two hours to ensure the fire was fully contained and completely extinguished.
While LFD crews were committed to this incident, Albany Fire Department provided district coverage with an engine and medic unit.
Weldon Road Fire
LFD responded in the mid-afternoon of Monday, Dec. 29, to a reported structure fire in the 31900 block of Weldon Road.
According to LFD, the homeowner arrived at the residence to find smoke detectors going off and the window blinds melting.
Fire crews arrived to find light wispy smoke coming from the eves of the home. After circling the house, the incident commander encountered gray, non-turbulent smoke when he opened the front door to check for occupants. He quickly shut the door to keep the fire from growing any larger.
Due to the location and length of the driveway, the first due engine had to lay over 400 feet of supply line which was supplied by multiple water tenders due to the fire being in the rural area. Those firefighters quickly got into action, making entry through the front door and locating the fire in the kitchen area of the residence.
While crews extinguished the blaze, more firefighters entered the building, completing searches and confirming the fire was contained to the kitchen with no extension into the attic space or walls. No injuries to occupants or firefighters were reported.
The LFD response included two engines, three water tenders, an ALS ambulance, a heavy rescue and a rehab unit for firefighters. During the blaze, the district responded to multiple 911 calls for service depleting all its resources.
LFD reminds residents of the importance of working smoke alarms. For more on that, call (541) 451-1901.