On February 5, 2023 at approximately 9:23am North Coos Dispatch Center received a call for a possible garage fire at 1631 Juniper Ave. Initial reports were from a 3rd party that stated that there was possibly a fire in the garage and the occupant was not able to open the garage to investigate. Units from Coos Bay Fire Department converged on scene approximately 6 minutes later to find smoke coming from the eves of a detached garage.

After making contact with the property owner it was determined that there was a working fire in the detached garage with limited access into the garage. Fire crews were able to quickly remove a section of exterior siding to all for hose steams to be directed into the garage. Shortly after this crews were able to force the garage door open to fully extinguish and overhaul the fire. From arriving on scene to the point when the fire was no longer a threat took less than ten minutes. The small garage suffered significant smoke and heat damage and the estimated loss to the structure and contents in $10,000.

The fire investigation determined that the cause of the fire was electrical, and the fire was accidental in nature. Coos Bay Fire Department would like to remined all citizens to make to be careful when using power strips and other non permanent power sources. Power strips and extension cords should always be plugged directly into the wall and citizens should be mindful not to overload the power strip or cord. Electrical cords and power strips should be properly maintained and regularly inspected for signs of damage or failure.