RUCH, Ore. – Fire crews were unable to save a house form burning to the ground Tuesday night, because a fire engine was stuck on a narrow, wooden bridge leading to the property. Fire agencies across the Rogue Valley say those small, private bridges can sometimes impact response time.
Applegate Fire crews responded to a house fire in the 11000 block of Highway 238 late Tuesday. The homeowner was able to get out safely. As crews tried to cross a small bridge over the Applegate River on the property, the tire of a fire engine broke a wooden plank and caused the vehicle to get stuck. The bridge was too narrow to get any other crews around it, and by the time the engine was pulled out of the way, the home was destroyed by the fire. The engine was not damaged, and no firefighters were hurt.
Multiple fire departments said there is no agency that is required to inspect private bridges, and said the responsibility of maintaining the bridge falls to the homeowner. Applegate Fire did a voluntary bridge review in its protection area in 2007, and at the time, the bridge in Tuesday’s incident was able to support the weight of heavy equipment.
When crews encounter a small bridge on private property, it slows down the response while firefighters make sure the bridge is safe to cross, according to Medford Fire Deputy Chief Brian Fish. He said firefighters are often not familiar with those bridges, and need to take extra time to check its durability.
“We’ve had [firefighters] look underneath for supports and stuff because maybe it looks good on top but is maybe not underneath,” he said. ”They’re just making their best guess.”
Jackson County Roads Director John Vial said the county inspects bridges on roads and highways, but not on private property.
