Fire Damages North Roseburg Home Near Costco Thursday Morning

ROSEBURG, Ore. — Central Douglas Fire & Rescue crews spent about 40 minutes extinguishing a structure fire Thursday morning at a home on Mobridge Avenue in North Roseburg, near Costco.

Firefighters were dispatched at 5:24 a.m. Thursday, May 7, after Douglas County Communications received an initial report that a bathroom was on fire. When the first unit arrived, crews found active fire on the back side of the structure.

Property owners told firefighters that everyone was out of the home.

CDF&R said crews faced significant access issues inside the residence because of extreme hoarding conditions. Firefighters had to cut openings into the exterior walls of the home to gain access and extinguish the fire.

The agency responded with three fire engines, two command units, and its air vehicle, which is used to refill breathing bottles. In total, 11 paid and volunteer personnel responded.

Central Douglas Fire & Rescue was assisted by Umpqua Valley Ambulance, Winston Police Department, Pacific Power, and Avista Gas.

According to CDF&R, the homeowners reported hearing a loud pop in the bathroom before finding heavy smoke in the room. Crews later found evidence of unpermitted electrical work in and around the structure. Fire officials said that is the leading theory on the cause of the fire.

CDF&R used the incident as a reminder for residents to make sure electrical work in and around a home is completed by a licensed professional and approved and inspected by the proper authority, most commonly the county building department.