One dead, one injured in Eugene fourplex fire in Churchill neighborhood

A late-night fire in Eugene’s Churchill neighborhood killed one person and seriously injured another after flames tore through a two-story fourplex in the 2500 block of Brittania Place. The fire drew a heavy response just before 11 p.m. Thursday, when people called Central Lane 911 to report a house fire that might spread to another unit.

Engine 10 from the Bailey Hill station arrived first and found heavy fire coming from one of the building’s units. Crews quickly realized people were trapped inside and that the heat and smoke made it hard to reach them, prompting a second alarm and a larger response to the residential street.

Firefighters found one occupant dead at the scene and transported another to RiverBend with serious injuries. People living in the adjoining units escaped safely, and no one else was hurt. Crews kept the main fire from spreading beyond the original unit, though flames did reach the attic space of a neighboring apartment.

The fire brought eight fire companies, four chiefs, four ambulances, two deputy fire marshals, EMS 1 and Support 1 to the Churchill neighborhood. Brittania Place is lined with homes and older multifamily rentals.

The cause remained under investigation.