Two-alarm house fire displaces Eugene family in University neighborhood

Eugene, OR – Eugene Springfield Fire responded early Sunday morning to a two-alarm house fire in Eugene’s University neighborhood, displacing the homeowner.

At 4:10 a.m. on February 22, crews were dispatched to a reported deck fire on the 1500 block of Orchard Street. Firefighters arrived within four minutes to find flames had spread from the back deck into the wall and attic of a balloon-framed home, with smoke visible from the eaves.

Crews quickly redeployed to the second floor to prevent further attic extension, while a truck crew prepared for vertical ventilation. The fire escalated rapidly, prompting a second alarm. Firefighters noted that balloon-framed homes, common in older neighborhoods, allow fire to travel quickly through walls and void spaces, often igniting multiple floors.

One occupant safely exited the home before the fire department’s arrival. The homeowner has been displaced, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials suspect a pet heating mat on the back porch may have contributed to the blaze.