"I heard what I thought was a scream," she said. "I looked, and my God, the neighbor's place was on fire. We called 911."
But it was too late for 46-year-old Laird Halderson, trapped inside a 31-foot Fleetwood fifth-wheel parked on property at 23220 Ramsey Road. Halderson, who had spent 20 years as a volunteer firefighter in Dundee himself, was found dead in his sleeping quarters, according to Fire Chief John Stock.
Stock said the Yamhill County Fire Investigation team would be assisted by the State Fire Marshal's Office and Oregon State Police in conducting an investigation into the cause. Because a death is involved, the district attorney's office also will play a role, he said.
It was the second fatal residential structure fire in recent weeks in Yamhill County, where two in the same year would be viewed as an extreme rarity.
A Salem woman and her 2-year-old son died last month when a house they were visiting in rural Amity burned. The woman's sister and teenage daughter lived in the house, and her father and stepmother lived next door in a manufactured home.
That struck an eerie parallel with the current case, as Halderson's parents and son live in a manufactured home just down the way at 23150 Dayton Ave., which intersects with Highway 99W between Dundee and Newberg. His parents own Country Kitty Cat Kennel.
"I feel so bad for the family," Michel Scott said. "Bless their heart. It's horrible. I don't know what to do for them."
Another neighbor said she wanted to help, but had no idea what she could do to comfort them following such a terrible tragedy.
Even though there are Newberg addresses in the area, it is served by the Dundee Fire District. And Stock was aboard one of the first responding units.
"There was heavy fire venting out of the front roof area," he said. "The fire was quickly extinguished, and then we found Laird.
Stock said it was the first fatal fire in his 14 years with the district.
"I know all those folks," he said. "I know the property. I knew there was a pretty good chance there was someone inside."
The Dayton and Newberg fire departments assisted at the scene. In all, 35 firefighters were dispatched with seven pieces of equipment.
