Rural Metro Crews Scrambled to Separate Fire Incidents in GP & Murphy
Two separate incidents early yesterday had Rural Metro Fire Department running in different directions in the Grants Pass and Murphy areas.
On Tuesday at 7:25 a.m., Rural Metro and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a report of a house fire on McVay Lane off Lower River Road. Crews arrived to find a fire in the contents of a furnace room that was quickly contained without damage to the structure.
Rural Metro officials said it appeared to be caused by flammable materials too close to an incandescent light bulb that heated up the materials to the point of ignition. There were no injuries.
On Tuesday at 7:28 a.m., Rural Metro units were directed to a vehicle on fire on Williams Highway at Ridgefield Road. The vehicle caught fire while stopped next to an Oregon Department of Transportation flagger crew working in the area.
ODOT crews were able to use fire extinguishers and a neighbor's garden hose to knock down the flames. There was no spread to adjacent vegetation. The cause appeared to be mechanical.
Officials said if the two fire incidents had occurred during the afternoon of a typically hot August day, the outcomes could have been much more severe.
Posted on 8/21/24 5:56AM by Sam Marsh
