Fire destroys vacant Eugene home

Clint Kempker, left, and Brady McGrail spray water on flare-ups at a residential structure fire in Eugene. Cole County Fire Protection District responded with several trucks, tankers and firefighters to the Thursday morning fire on Market Street in Eugene. In addition to dry conditions and bitter cold, firefighters had to drag hoses long distances to battle the blaze.
Clint Kempker, left, and Brady McGrail spray water on flare-ups at a residential structure fire in Eugene. Cole County Fire Protection District responded with several trucks, tankers and firefighters to the Thursday morning fire on Market Street in Eugene. In addition to dry conditions and bitter cold, firefighters had to drag hoses long distances to battle the blaze.

The cause of a fire that destroyed a Eugene home Thursday morning is still under investigation.

The fire in the 15600 block of Market Street was called in around 9 a.m., according to Cole County Fire Protection District reports.

When fire crews arrived, the structure was on the ground and destroyed.

Debris surrounding the home, with no road into the house, made it difficult to get into the property.

No one was apparently around at the time. The house was vacant, with no one living there.

Fire crews were able to save two nearby outbuildings that had caught on fire from blowing embers.

Approximately 2 acres of woods and leaves surrounding the structure also caught fire from the blowing embers, but firefighters eventually extinguished the blaze.

There were reports of several explosions around the area when the fire occurred, but fire officials were not sure if it could have been small propane tanks and gas tanks.

No injuries were reported while fighting the fire.

"We didn't see anything suspicious at this time, " Assistant Chief Steve Barnes said. "We have no idea where it started or how it started. There was just too much damage. Nothing there to even make a good guess."

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