Exposed power line added to risk of putting out fire

At 8:35 a.m. Monday, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to a house fire at 2855 Jolie Point in West Linn. The home is a cottage on the West Linn Lutheran Church property.

According to TVF&R, the fire prompted numerous calls to the 911 center from neighbors who heard “popping” and “explosions” and minutes later saw 50-foot flames behind the home. When firefighters arrived, they found the rear of the home fully engulfed and fire breaching the home’s attic space. Trees behind the home were scorched.

A TVF&R command officer used both an interior and exterior fire attack to extinguish the fire. Crews on the back side of the home had to take extreme precautions due to an energized power line on the ground behind the home, according to Karen Eubanks, TVF&R spokeswoman. PGE was called to the scene and a linesman cut the power within approximately 20 minutes. A crew from the Lake Oswego Fire Department also responded to the scene.

Firefighters had to remove a portion of the roof that was heavily damaged by the fire spreading up the exterior of the home and into the attic space.

The small home, built in the 1970s, is owned by the West Linn Lutheran Church. It was occupied by a husband and wife who were recently assigned as caretakers for the church property.

The husband, who was home at the time of the fire, told a TVF&R fire investigator that he first noticed something was amiss when his television unexpectedly lost power. He then heard “popping” and minutes later saw flames.

He safely escaped with his dog before firefighters arrived. He required no medical attention, and there were no injuries as a result of the fire.

“Thankfully the residents, our new caretaker and her husband and their dog were all safely evacuated,” church pastors Donna and Tim Herzfeldt-Kamprath wrote in a statement. “Your prayers are appreciated for the family and the church as we work together to recover.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The home sustained significant damage and is not liveable.