Family of Six Escapes Two Fires Near Silverton

The family, which included 4 children of various ages are being helped with housing and other items by the Red Cross.

A family of six is lucky to be alive Wednesday, after the motorhome they were living in caught fire, and spread to a nearby home that their father was helping family members renovate. Salem-News.com File Photo

(SILVERTON, Ore. ) - A family of six is lucky to be alive Wednesday, after the motorhome they were living in caught fire, and spread quickly to a nearby home that their father was helping family members renovate.

Silverton firefighters were called to the two fires on Leikem Circle, just off Silverton Falls Highway east of the town of Silverton, at 3:37 p.m. First arriving firefighters found a fully engulfed motorhome, who's flames and embers had spread and started an intense fire inside the vacant 2-story home.

Silverton Fire Chief Bill Miles tells Salem-News.com that the first crews on scene quickly called in a second alarm, which brought in extra crews and equipment from Mt. Angel and Drakes Crossing Rural Fire Protection District.

Miles said "we had a very dangerous situation on our hands." "Not only from the heat and smoke from the fires, but propane tanks were exploding as well." "Some 20 firefighters tried valiantly braving heat, flames and smoke to try and save the home, but the fire spread too quickly inside, and up into the attic, which unfortunately we have to report both the motorhome and home are a total loss."

Nobody was injured during the fire.

The family, which included 4 children of various ages are being helped with housing and other items by the Red Cross.

Miles said that the father had indicated he had been having problems with the motorhome's generator before the fire, but an exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.

The homeowners were on vacation in New Mexico at the time of the fires.