UPDATED: Morning house fire in Salem claims one life, second person injured
UPDATE 2:30 p.m. Sunday: Salem police have released the identities of the victims of the house fire.
One person died and another was injured in a house fire early Sunday in south Salem, according to the Salem Fire Department.
The agency released no information about the victims in a posting to its Facebook page. The Salem Police Department is investigating the fire, reported at 4455 Matthews Loop S. The street is west of Sunnyslope City Park.
The police department Sunday afternoon said that Robert W. Parker, 93, died in the fire. He was found in the kitchen, a spokesman said. Jean E. Kane, 88, was found by firefighters in the living room and is under treatment at Salem Hospital for her injuries.
The two have owned the property since 1988, according to Marion County records.
According to the fire agency’s social media post, a caller alerted authorities to the fire at 6:23 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14.
The first arriving firefighters encountered a home engulfed in flames and sounded a second alarm.
Firefighters “began an aggressive attack on the fire and conducted victim searches under extreme conditions, locating and rescuing two trapped occupants during their search efforts,” according to the post. “The efforts to search and rescue trapped victims under such intense and advanced fire conditions were nothing short of heroic.”
Fire officials didn’t respond to emails seeking details on the rescue.
Firefighters had the fire under control in 20 minutes, the agency said.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
