Fire in West TD, destroys front half of home; triggers quick response from police & firefighters

Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue firefighters responded to a blaze at 609 W. 13th Street shortly after 1 a.m. on May 21. Neighbors heard the call out for help just prior. Photo Credit: Mike Nagle

By Tom Peterson 

Adie Jones said she could see the fire burning through the window and heard a call out.

“Help!”

“Fire!”

Adie heard.  

It was Sunday, May 21, just after 1 a.m. And her next-door neighbor Dora was in trouble.

Jones, 73 lives at 1311 Trevitt Street in The Dalles with her husband Bill, and the flames she was seeing were inside the home of Dora Mee at 609 W. 13th Street.

Mee, who is described as an elderly person, later told firefighters she had fallen asleep on the couch and woke to parts of the ceiling falling on her and seeing lightning in the ceiling above her.

Mee was able to exit the house through the front door and even returned into the house to get a sweater to fight off the night chill.

Meanwhile, Jones said she went to the other room in her house and called 911, and then woke Bill. 

Police were banging on their door within two minutes.

Firefighters were there just a few minutes later.

Firefighters work to stem the blaze coming from the front windows and door of the home shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, May 21.

“They evacuated us,” Jones said, noting The Dalles Police Officer Karri Call assisted them to a safe spot at their neighbors across the street. 

“She really helped us out. I have a back and hip issue. Bil, 92, walks with a cane. She got us set down in some plastic chairs and brought us water. She checked on us hour by hour.”

Bill Jones said the flames could be seen coming out of the windows of the home and lapping up and around the soffits towards the roof.

Flames were also coming through the front door.

Adie was sure the flames were going to ignite her home too, but the wind shifted towards the northwest, alleviating her fears, while several firefighters doused the blaze.  

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue responded with three engines, according to its Facebook page. 

But it was a tough fire to attack because there was so much stuff stacked up inside the home.

They had to break out a window to reach the fire with their hoses, Bill said. 

The couple said they could hear the alerts on the firefighter’s oxygen tanks as they ran low on air. 

An ambulance arrived and Mee was examined for injuries and cleared before she was transported by police to her sister’s home. 

CCCNews has reached out to Mee and her sister for comment and will update this story as their comments are received.

The front half of the home appears destroyed.

Mid Columbia Fire & Rescue Chief said Mee reported that fire started in the ceiling or attic of the house, but no official cause has been determined. The company insuring the home will also investigate the cause in days to come.

Aftermath of the fire that ran through 609 W. 13th Street, The Dalles in the early morning hours of May 21.

Adie Jones said she was torn up about the situation, noting the fire has made her both angry and sad over the past few days. She said it angered her because it put her home at risk and said it was a very sad situation for her neighbor Dora who lost her home.  

She said Dora was very independent and kept a lot of items at her home. And the fire hazard had worried both her and Bill for years, even calling for help from the city code enforcement officer on two occasions, once in 2007 and another time around 2012.

Chief Palmer said there were three good lessons to learn from the fire. First, never go back inside a burning building once you have escaped it. Always ensure that your fire alarms are installed and working giving you ample time to leave a burning home before the blaze gets too large and inflicts harm. And housekeeping is an important part of fire prevention and safety.

Clutter can block doorways and windows, making leaving a home very difficult. Boxes, paper, clothing, and other items are extremely flammable and will add fuel to a fire.

MId-Columbia Fire lauded the support they received during the blaze.

“Mosier Fire Eng. 12 moved up and stood by at station 1 while Klickitat County EMS was covering for EMS calls. It is great to have partners that we can count on,” it stated on the MCFR Facebook page.