LEBANON, Ore. -- Part of Highway 20 in Lebanon was closed for a while on Monday as firefighters battled an RV fire that left a man without shelter, the Lebanon Fire District said.
According to LFD, firefighters responded to a reported motor home fire near Highway 20 in Lebanon at about 10:11 a.m. on March 6. Firefighters said the resident of the RV was sleeping when his home caught fire, tried to extinguish the fire, tried unsuccessfully to find his dog, and then escaped the RV with non-life-threatening injuries. The Lebanon Fire District said they arrived to find the RV completely engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to a nearby car and detached garage and local residents trying to protect their belongings.
Firefighters closed Highway 20 in all directions at Reeves Parkway so they could attack the blaze more effectively. Firefighters said they had the fire under control after a 20-minute battle, and they spent about an hour afterwards mopping up hotspots and investigating. LFD said the occupant of the RV was taken to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately, the occupant’s dog did not survive the fire.
LFD said the cause of the fire is still being investigated. However, they would like to take this opportunity to remind residents of the importance of proper space heater usage. LFD says to make sure there is adequate space around a space heater, and to ensure that they are plugged directly into an outlet. They also said to have working smoke detectors in their proper areas, even in motor homes.
