At 1:26 a.m. on August 11, 2018, Roseburg Fire Department was dispatched to natural cover fire at NE Bellview Court at Stephens Street. It was reported as a large fire on Reservoir Hill near the water tower.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a slow moving grass fire on the west side of Reservoir Hill near the river. The two acre grass fire was quickly extinguished by 15 firefighters from the Roseburg Fire Department, Douglas Forest Protective Association, and Douglas County Fire District #2.
Fire investigators were on scene and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Firefighters remained on scene throughout the night completing overhaul.
Roseburg Fire Department wants to remind everyone that we are still in extreme fire conditions. Any spark emitting activity (mowing dry grass, power saw use, etc.) will ignite a fire and quickly spread out of control. In addition, remember that debris burning is currently prohibited. Please do your part to help protect lives, homes, land, and personal property.
At 5:25 p.m. on August 6, 2018, Roseburg Fire Department was dispatched to natural cover fire at NE Bellview Court at Stephens Street. It was reported as a brush fire at the base of Reservoir Hill.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a three acre, fast moving grass fire on Reservoir Hill. Firefighters from the Roseburg Fire Department, Douglas Forest Protective Association, and Douglas County Fire District #2 quickly extinguished the fire, halting the spread to nearby structures located at the top of the hill and limiting the area of the burn to approximately four acres.
Fire investigators were on scene and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Firefighters will remain on scene for the remainder of the evening completing overhaul. The Roseburg Fire Department would like to remind everyone that higher temperatures are expected later this week and fire danger is still extremely high. Please remember, even a small campfire can quickly get out of control.
Pictures courtesy of Roseburg Fire Department and Kyle Reed, Douglas Forest Protective Association
At 9:45 a.m. on August 2, 2018, Roseburg Fire Department was dispatched to a residential structure fire at 1006 SE Pine Street. A nearby neighbor reported the fire.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find light smoke showing from the second story windows of the residential structure. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and conducted a primary search for victims. It was determined that all occupants had evacuated the two-story home. The home sustained structural and water damage. Firefighters were able to protect the surrounding homes from damage.
Two adult residents, three children, and two dogs were displaced; however, no one was injured in the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting the family that was displaced.
The structure, which is valued at $75,000, suffered approximately $15,000 in damage. Fire investigators were on scene and determined an unattended candle most likely caused the fire.
A total of 10 firefighters assisted with firefighting operations. Other agencies assisting with the fire included Bay Cities Ambulance, Avista Utilities, Pacific Power, Roseburg Police Department, and the American Red Cross.
The Roseburg Fire Department would like to remind everyone of the following safety tips to prevent candle fires:
- Stay in the same room with burning candles; never leave them burning unattended. Most candle fires start when they are left burning unattended. Always make sure candles are blown out before leaving home or going to bed.
- Keep candles away from things that can burn. Keep candles at least one foot away from Christmas trees, evergreen clippings, decorations, presents, wrapping paper, curtains, upholstered furniture and any other flammable items. Always use a sturdy metal, glass or ceramic candleholder.
- Place candles out of reach of children and pets. Many candle fires are started when children touch or play with them, or when pets knock them over.
- Keep wicks trimmed to one-quarter inch. This keeps the candle from smoking.
- Avoid candles with combustible items embedded in them such as twigs, flowers or leaves. These items can ignite and even explode, causing a fire.
- Remember to make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom. Consider a home fire sprinkler system for increased protection.
At 8:28 a.m. on July 31, 2018, Roseburg Fire Department was dispatched to natural cover fire at NE Bellview Court at Stephens Street. Numerous calls reported the fire being located on Reservoir Hill near the water towers.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a fast moving grass fire near the top of Reservoir Hill. Although access to the site was steep and difficult, firefighters from the Roseburg Fire Department and Douglas Forest Protective Association quickly extinguished the fire, halting the spread to nearby structures located at the top of the hill.
The grass fire was approximately half an acre in size. Fire investigators were on scene and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Roseburg Fire Department would like to remind everyone to use extreme causing when disposing of smoking materials or any other potential sources of ignition. With higher temperatures and lower humidity, grass, bushes, and dry bark mulch can be instantly ignited by discarded smoking materials, or can smolder for hours before igniting flames and causing devastating fires.
Photos courtesy of Roseburg Fire Department and Kyle Reed, Douglas Forest Protective Association