A structure fire in Sutherlin caused significant damage to a residential home and took the life of an adult German Shepherd dog. Douglas County Fire District No. 2 firefighters received the report of a structure fire Friday June 24, 2011 at 11:10 PM. The fire occurred at 262 Plat M Rd. in Sutherlin near the intersection of Hwy 138 and Fort Mckay Rd. First arriving firefighters found a home nearly 50% involved in fire and an attached garage completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters worked quickly to prevent the spread of flames through the unburned portion of the home. Firefighters also conducted a search of the building using an infrared camera and manual search to determine if there were any people trapped inside the burning building. Firefighters determined that the occupants of the home were not inside the building.
Fire District No. 2 responded with three fire engines, one water tender, two chief officers, and 13 personnel. Fire District No. 2 was assisted by the Oakland Rural Fire Protection District, which responded an engine and water tender, and Fair Oaks Rural Fire Protection District, which responded an engine to the fire. 18 total firefighters worked for more than two hours extinguishing the fire. Pacific Power also responded along with Avista Utilities. The Sutherlin Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
According to Douglas County Assessor records, the home was owned by Donald and Susanna Kemper of Sutherlin. The home was an 1136 square foot home with an attached garage. The home was valued at $ 29,000.00 and suffered extensive fire and smoke damage. The occupants of the home were David Zimmerman and Tracy Harper who rented the home from Kemper. The occupants did not have renters insurance on the contents of the home and are being assisted by the Red Cross.
The Douglas County Fire District No. 2 Fire Investigation Team along with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time.