Fire damages Oregon house

12/16/2010

A house fire that originated in the clothes dryer in the basement caused an undetermined amount of damage to the Oregon home of a family of nine early Wednesday, Oregon Fire Chief Ed Ellis said.

The blaze was reported about 1 a.m. in the 3900 block of Seaman Rd. near Taylor Road. A child whose bedroom is in the basement awoke to the smell of smoke and roused the rest of the family, who escaped before fire crews arrived.

Damage was contained to the basement after the flames spread from the laundry apparatus to a nearby piece of furniture.

The home did not have functioning smoke alarms, which Chief Ellis said could have turned the incident into a fatal fire. He also urged homeowners to avoid using heated appliances when occupants of the home are sleeping.

The exact cause of the fire has not been determined.