Firefighters rescue owner's two dogs

An overheated box fan is believed to be the cause of a fire that heavily damaged a Corvallis home Friday night.

The fire at a two-story home in the 7700 block of Cardwell Hill Drive was called in at 8:46 p.m.

According to fire prevention officer Jim Patton, a fan had been placed in the attic to direct hot air out and into the garage. The fan, which wasn't new, had been running continuously for more than a week. The fan apparently failed, overheated and started the fire, which spread into the open attic space and eventually to the garage.

The homeowner, Marvin Anderson, was in the back yard when the fire broke out. His two dogs were inside, but firefighters were able to reach them. Marvin nor the dogs were injured.

The blaze was discovered by a neighbor, who went over to investigate after he heard what sounded like a small explosion. He found the garage on fire and told Anderson, who was not aware of the blaze due to a hearing impairment.

The first engine on the scene reported heavy fire coming from the garage and a portion of the house. A second alarm brought in equipment and firefighters from Philomath and Adair.

Six fire engines, two water tenders, an ambulance and 18 firefighters responded.

Corvallis fire stations were backfilled by personnel from Adair and Philomath. Off-duty Corvallis firefighters were called back to staff additional equipment.

The fire was under control in about 45 minutes.

The house sustained fire and smoke damage to the garage and roof and some damage to the lower level and southern portion. One vehicle in the garage and a second vehicle located outside but very close to the garage were damaged.

Patton said the house cannot be occupied without major reconstruction.

Anderson has insurance. He is staying with family. The dogs were temporarily taken to an animal hospital.

Both Oak Creek and Cardwell Hill drives were closed for more than two hours.

There were no fire hydrants in the area, so firefighters had to shuttle water to the house. They also were able to use a 10,000-gallon cistern on an Oregon State University farm about three blocks away.