Clatskanie House Fire Results In Fatality - 10/05/23

(Columbia County, OR) October 5, 2023 - On the morning of October 3, 2023, Columbia 9-1-1 Communications notified the Columbia County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) that flames had fully engulfed the house at 520 NE Spring Street in Clatskanie. Before CCSO Deputies arrived, neighbors attempted to alert the homeowner by opening doors and yelling to attract their attention. Unfortunately, flames immediately erupted from the doors, causing the neighbors to leave the property. The Clatskanie Rural Fire District contained the fire soon afterward and notified CCSO that a deceased woman had been located in the home.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal and Oregon State Police Arson Investigators completed their investigation. They determined the fire was not suspicious and appeared to have started accidentally in the house's living room. 

The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy and identified the victim as Rena Norman of Clatskanie.