Two homes damaged in separate Eugene fires

Two house fires kept Eugene-Springfield firefighters busy on Saturday.

A south Eugene house caught fire early in the morning, causing what one fire official estimated to be about $150,000 in damage.

Firefighters responded at 6:40 a.m. to the call on the 3200 block of Lincoln Street, near Wayne Morse Ranch, Eugene Springfield Fire Battalion Chief Lance Lighty said.

Chief Lighty said the home had been vacant for more than a year. The homeowners, who live out of state, were remodeling the house before putting the property on the market.

Items that were stored outside the house caught fire, Lighty said. The fire moved to the attic, damaging that part of the house, the exterior and the roof, he said.

Investigators are still determining the cause, he said.

Four engines, one truck, one medic and two chiefs responded to the call, Lighty said. Lighty said cooler early morning temperatues helped firefighters.

About 7:30 p.m., firefighters responded to a fire at 4165 Wood St. in the Bethel area.

There was a large volume of fire coming from the garage and black smoke coming from the house.

Flames were shooting out the side window of the garage, causing a fence and the adjacent house to catch fire, Lighty said.

An occupant of the Wood Street house was working in the garage when the fire that caused an estimated $160,000 in damage started.

He went back inside the house to retrieve his dog. He received minor injuries but was not transported to the hospital.

The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes, Lighty said.

The cause of that fire is also still under investigation.

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