OR Firefighters Face Warehouse Fire Following Explosion

A small business warehouse caught fire following an explosion in west Eugene on Tuesday afternoon, seriously injuring two men who were transported to the hospital.

Witnesses said they heard and felt an explosion, before going outside and seeing two men run out of the business with clothes melting and burn injuries. Crews responded to the fire at a property on Bailey Hill Road near West 11th Avenue a little after 1 p.m.

"The younger guy, his hand was bleeding, his hair was melted, and he was a little burned on his face," said Alex Glenn, who was working in the nearby gunsmith shop McCluskey Arms when the explosion happened. "The other guy ... it was his entire body. His shirt and pants were melted off, skin was falling off. They were hosing him down until the paramedics got here."

Numerous Eugene-Springfield Fire engines and Eugene police vehicles arrived to the scene, and got the structure fire under control in 25 minutes, according to Interim Fire Chief Chris Heppel.

Both victims were transported to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield, Heppel said. Battalion Chief Mike Caven said the status of one of the victims was between "serious" and "critical"

Glenn, who was standing in the parking lot Tuesday as crews continued to spray water into the burn area, said employees felt the explosion on the ground before going outside 20 seconds later.

"There were flames about as high as the building, and there were the two guys running out," he said.

Heppel said the neighboring warehouse suites sustained damage as well, and that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

"That particular facility does have some butane, oxygen, etc. type of things in there; my understanding is it's a glass-blowing operation," Heppel said.

Hutch Hill, owner of Blues Glassworks, which is located in the warehouse lot, said it wasn't his business but another property nearby where the explosion happened.

Caven noted none of the buildings had collapsed so far. After getting the fire under control, firefighters were spraying water into the open garage doors. Several trees behind the warehouse were slightly burned.

Bailey Hill Road will be closed for a few hours as crews continue to investigate and monitor the fire, Heppel said. West 11th Avenue was briefly closed but has since reopened.

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