Monday Evening Garage Fire, May 21

Shortly before 5:00 pm, the Coos Bay Fire Department was dispatched to 978 South 7th Street for the report of a garage on fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found an unattached garage full of heavy, black smoke and the fire just starting to break through one of the walls.  Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire before the building or its contents were a total loss.  The garage and the nearby home are owned by Travis Wilson.  Mr. Wilson had just finished putting away tools and closed up the garage after using a weed burner to remove weeds from the cracks in the sidewalk around the garage.  After investigating the cause of the blaze, Fire Chief Mark Anderson believes that it was a wind-blown spark or piece of burning debris that ignited the 80 year old structure. The fire was significantly aided when a plastic gas can of diesel melted and the fuel ignited.  The roughly 400 square foot garage sustained minimal fire damage, but it suffered extensive smoke damage. The amount of damage to the structure and contents is estimated at $7,500. The garage is insured under Mr. Johnson’s homeowner policy.  The Fire Department would like to remind the community that with dryer weather, the danger of an outdoor fire is significantly increased.  Please be careful when burning brush – keep a responsible adult present, make sure you have adequate clearance from other combustible materials, and have a means to extinguish sparks and embers that could spread beyond the burn barrel, brush pile, or campfire.