Two house fires, one fatality, in Jerusalem Township on June 17, 18

 
        There were two fires in Jerusalem Township over the June 17, 18 weekend. Both houses were destroyed.
        On Saturday, June 17, a house at 12403 LaFountaine Drive caught fire, causing the death of the homeowner, according to Jerusalem Township Fire Chief Tony Parasiliti.
        The Jerusalem Township Fire Department received assistance from the Oregon Fire Department, the Allen-Clay Joint Fire District, and the Carroll Township Fire Department.
        Firefighters pulled Lisa Cook, 47, from the house. She was transported to St. Vincent Hospital, where she later died.
        “Jerusalem Township fire crews were first on the scene. They had to pull the homeowner out of the house. They did get a pulse back, and she was transported by life squad to St. Vincent Hospital, where she later succumbed,” he said. She may have died from smoke inhalation, since she did not have burns on her body.
        “The homeowner was home alone, though she did not live alone at the residence. We think she may have been taking a shower when the fire started in the kitchen area,” he said. “We don’t know what may have happened after that, whether or not she was overcome by smoke.”
        The fire department was called to the same residence earlier this year to fight a fire in the garage, which was detached from the house, he said.
        “The garage fire was accidental. A male was using the burn barrel, then left the barrel unattended. It spread to the garage,” he said.
 
Brown Road
        There was a fire the following day on Sunday at 8125 Brown Road. It likely started in the attic and spread quickly throughout the house, he said. There were no casualties.
        “The resident was home at the time. He was operating a weed wacker cutting weeds. He did not discover it. The neighbor did and called it in. Our crews responded along with the Oregon Fire Department and the Allen-Clay Joint Fire District. Oregon was first on the scene. It started in the rear of the house and it was in the attic area.”
        Crews worked hard to extinguish the fire, but a strong wind fanned the flames, causing the fire to spread quickly, he said.
        “The wind was strong, so it started blowing it aggressively throughout the house. Crews worked hard to try and put the fire out, but with that wind, it just took off. With the winds blowing into that attic area, it was like a blow torch. It just pushed the fire throughout the whole attic space area, which became engulfed in flames. If you look at it today, the walls are still standing, but the roof is what was really consumed by this fire.”
        The house was completely destroyed,” said Parasiliti.
        The chief urged the public to install smoke alarms, if they haven’t done so. They provide early detection of the presence of smoke and gives people the chance to flee to safety.
        “They definitely save lives. It’s an early detection of smoke. You should have one on every level of your home. If you need help getting a smoke detector, reach out to your local fire department and they may be able to assist you with that,” he said. “The fire department will also install them for you because they want to make sure they are installed correctly.”