The on-duty crew at an Oregon fire station didn't have far to travel to fight an early morning blaze on Easter Sunday.
Firefighters at Damascus Station 19 in Clackamas Fire District #1 noticed a strong smell of smoke within the station shortly after 7:30 a.m. and discovered smoke venting from the attic space above the apparatus garage. The crew quickly removed fire apparatus from the building and activated a first-alarm fire response. After accessing the attic space, firefighters extinguished the blaze before it could spread any further. The damage was minimal and contained to the attic space and garage area. There were no injuries.
The damage could have been much more severe had Clackamas Fire not begun staffing the station 24 hours a day in late February.
During the investigation, PGE noted that a blossoming cherry tree down the road had pushed a live power line and a neutral line together, causing an electrical short that sparked the fire.
Clackamas Fire wished to ensure the community that service delivery would not be affected despite Station 19 being closed for fire district and community use. Contingencies were already in place to begin repairing the station and return it to operational status. It is unknown how long the closure will be in place.
