PHOTO COURTESY OF OSP
An Oregon State Police trooper carried an elderly woman from her burning home Wednesday in the small Northeast Oregon town of Sumpter.
Trooper Brad Duncan of the ODFW division in Baker City was patrolling the town of Sumpter around Noon on Sunday when he saw what appeared to be a vehicle on fire with three people standing nearby. One person was attempting to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but was not having any success. Duncan told the people to get away from the vehicle, which had become fully engulfed. As he did so, he noticed a large propane tank between the residence and the vehicle which he feared may explode.
Duncan learned the residence was owned by an 81-year-old woman who was believed to still be inside the home. As the fire spread to the residence, Duncan and firefighter David Stellman of the Sumpter Valley Fire Department went to the door to inquire and Duncan went inside to look for the woman.
Shortly after entering the home, Duncan located the woman and her son still inside the residence. The woman was seated in a chair and her son told Duncan she was unable to stand or walk on her own. As smoke poured into the residence through the door and the house began to burn, Duncan carried the woman out of the house and to his patrol vehicle. Later on, the Sumpter Valley Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire.
During the investigation it was determined the fire was started while an occupant of the residence was working on the fuel system of a vehicle. Red Cross arrived to assist the occupants.
