A house fire at 1170 Commercial St. lit up the night sky on Friday. 9-1-1 Dispatchers first received calls reporting the fire at 6:34 pm. When firefighters from Coos Bay arrived 5 minutes later, the 100 year old 2-story home was fully ablaze. Within a half hour the fire was 80% contained but, because of the numerous void spaces, firefighters worked for several more hours to insure all of the embers were doused. 19 Firefighters with 3 Engines, 2 support units and one staff vehicle responded to the scene. One firefighter sustained minor injuries from a ground-level fall.
Francisco Castilla, the sole occupant of the home, told investigators that he was asleep at the time of the fire. He awoke to see fire near the ceiling and ran from the house. The property is owned by Maria Pullen of Winchester Bay. Mark Anderson, Acting Fire Chief for the Coos Bay Fire Department, assessed the damage and believes that both the structure and contents are a total loss.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Coos Bay Press Release, House Fire at 1170 Commercial, December 14