Fire damages Forest Grove home

No one was injured in blaze linked to a faulty water heater

By Stover E. Harger Iii

The Forest Grove News-Times, Nov 12, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Courtesy Photo / Forest Grove Fire & Rescue

The fire that severely damaged the second floor of this home in Forest Grove’s Old Town neighborhood wasn’t detected until it had burned through an upstairs wall and begun filling the attic with smoke and gasses.

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A faulty water heater was likely the cause of a house fire in Forest Grove last week that burned through a wall in the home before its owners smelled and saw smoke coming from their roof.

No one was hurt in the fire at 1639 Douglas St. on Nov. 6. According to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, the homeowner and his son were outside working on a car in the afternoon when they noticed the smoke coming from the unoccupied house. Firefighters were unable to find a working smoke alarm in the home, although the family said they thought they had one.

Firefighters had to cut holes in the roof to let out smoke and hot gasses in order to slow the spread of the fire, which caused significant damage to the upstairs bedroom, where the water heater was located, as well as smoke damage to the bottom floor.

Damages to the home, including lost property, are estimated at $40,000.

Although no one was hurt and the fire was contained relatively quickly, said Dave Nemeyer, fire inspector for the department, it could have been much worse considering the home did not have a smoke alarm.

“Had this been a few hours later in the evening, it could have been real tragic,” said Nemeyer. “These folks are really fortunate.”

Nemeyer said homes should have at least one smoke detector on each floor and outside sleeping areas. Also, he said, make sure your water heater is properly installed and kept clean and in working order. Combustibles should be kept at least three feet away from a water heater.