Quick action saves home from fire

Rapid response from firefighters kept a bad situation from getting much worse when a fire threatened a home on St. Helens Avenue in Sisters last week.

The Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD responded to a reported structure fire on Wednesday, June 10, at 128 W. St. Helens Ave. The first fire engine arrived at 1:28 p.m., less than three minutes after the fire was reported.

The home is owned by John Finley, who lives in California. The home was occupied by Kent Boles of Sisters, who was home at the time of the fire. Boles told firefighters that he was upstairs when he heard smoke alarms sounding. Boles indicated that as soon as the smoke alarm went off he heard firefighters at his door telling him to evacuate the property.

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Chief Roger Johnson noted that fire personnel had just finished a meeting with local fire agencies when a call reporting the fire was received. Cloverdale Fire Chief Thad Olsen and Black Butte Ranch Fire District Captain Richard Cearns were in front of the Sisters Fire Station and noticed the smoke before the 911 call was received. Olsen thought the smoke looked unusual and drove to investigate.

Olsen arrived at the home prior to the 911 call being dispatched.

Olsen and Cearns then evacuated the occupant of the home and provided oversight for incoming units.

Johnson stated, "This is a great example of the exceptional working relationships between our local fire departments. We train together frequently, and incident commanders are able to integrate seamlessly into any incident."

Upon arrival, firefighters found the front porch of the home engulfed in flames and the fire was spreading up the exterior of the home onto the decorative wood shake siding. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire on the porch, but the smoldering shingles and decorative trim had to be removed to ensure that the fire was completely out. Some damage occurred to the interior of the home as flames spread through small windows in the front door.

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Chief Roger Johnson said, "Firefighters did a great job of getting water on the fire quickly and preventing further damage to the structure."

The district responded with 15 career and volunteer personnel including two fire engines, two incident command units, an ambulance and support unit. Black Butte Ranch Fire District responded with an engine and five personnel, and Cloverdale Fire District also assisted with command staff.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental in nature and originated at ground level, likely in the bark mulch touching the wooden front porch. There was an estimated $ 16,000 in damage to the structure and contents.

The structure fire was the second in less than a week that started in bark mulch and spread to a home. Another fire occurred in Camp Sherman on June 6, at 26311 S.W. Metke Ln. A neighbor noticed smoke coming from the porch of the Metke Road home and investigated the cause. A small fire was noticed on the porch and a garden hose was used to begin extinguishing it. A single unit from the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD was able to extinguish the fire with an estimated $3,000 in loss.

Fire officials note that bark mulch can be very hazardous when it contacts any flammable portion of a home or deck. Bark mulch use should be restricted to areas away from flammable vegetation or buildings. A common cause of bark mulch fires is discarded cigarettes or other burning material. Bark mulch can smolder for hours before spreading to other combustibles.

For more information about fire-safe landscaping practices contact the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District at 541-549-0771 or visit their website at http://www.sistersfire.com.