Historic home destroyed in fire
No one was seriously hurt in a second-alarm structure fire Saturday night in a residential area of Woodland, although owner Timothy Johnson said it may be a complete loss.
Firefighters responded to 656 McKinley Ave., at 10:52 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of flames sweeping up the southeast side of the two-story home at the northwest corner of McKinley Avenue and Cross Street.
Much of the damage was confined to an exterior screened-area as well as the internal first- and secondfloors on the southern side of the white-painted, historic wooden home owned by Johnson, of Timothy’s Bakery in downtown Woodland.
Shortly after the fire, friends of the family started a “meal train” to provide food. A gofundme account has also be set up to assist the family with expenses, however, Johnson told The Democrat on Monday that the account was unnecessary.
Johnson said that he was sitting in his reclining chair when his wife told him she saw flames. At first he thought the fire could be fought with a hose, but as it was he and the family barely got out in time before they could be overwhelmed by smoke and heat.
While much of the damage was centered on the southern side of the house, the northern side, which is only one story in height, received little damaged as did a number of surrounding trees. Had the fire made its way into the trees, it could have spread to nearby homes. It did appear, however, that a car parked on the eastern side of the home suffered some heat damage with a melted front bumper.
Johnson told The Democrat the roof of the structure was brand new, having been installed about two weeks ago. He speculates the roof is a total loss but will have to wait for an insurance claims expert to make an evaluation.
The same evaluation will determine whether the home is salvageable or needs to come down. The estimated dollar damage was not immediately available and probably won’t be known until the evaluation is completed.
While they were battling the blaze, firefighters reported one occupant of the home suffered minor, possibly stress-related issues and was taken to the hospital briefly for treatment, while a firefighter suffered possibly heat-related problems. Neither was serious with the resident was said to have recovered after a short time while the firefighter recovered at the scene and returned to duty.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but it appeared to have started on the southeast side of the structure within a screened area used for outdoor activities. It’s possible, the fire was electrical in origin based on burn patterns. Johnson also though the fire was electrical in nature.
It also appeared the fire was sustained, at least for a brief period of time, by electrical lines running from Cross Street into the house. There were reports of sparking coming from the lines as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Two firefighters returned to the scene early Sunday as part of a standard check and make sure there were no flare-ups, but the fire appeared to be dead with no smoke rising from the blackened structure. Later, other firefighters arrived at the house to see what lessons could be learned.
Belongings retrieved from the inside of the home had been carried outside by firefighters and left on the northeast side of the lawn. Most displayed heat or smoke damage.
All three of Woodland’s engine companies, including off-duty personnel, responded to the blaze as did those of surrounding fire departments. Station coverage was provided by firefighters from other departments, including those from Yocha de He Fire Department.