At 4:01 a.m. Sunday morning, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Clackamas County Fire District #1 and Lake Oswego Fire Department responded to reports of a trapped victim in a house fire at 1693 12th Street in West Linn.
Irene C. Anderson had called 9-1-1 from her cell phone to report that she had just escaped from her burning home and her daughter, who also lived in the home, was trapped inside. Firefighters from TVF&R’s Station 59 arrived within three minutes and found heavy smoke coming from the windows. Knowing one of the female residents of the home was still trapped inside, they immediately started a search of the smoke and fire filled home and found 47-year-old Lisa Anderson Malsbury unresponsive.
While firefighters began providing advanced life support care to Ms. Malsbury, other crews pulled hoses into the structure and quickly extinguished the fire. Ms. Malsbury was initially transported to Legacy Meridian Park Hospital suffering life-threatening injuries and has since been transferred to Legacy Emanuel Hospital where she remains in the intensive care unit at the burn center.
Though fire damage was limited to the front living room, the home sustained considerable smoke and water damage. It’s estimated that at least $100,000 worth of damage occurred and the insured home may be a total loss. TVF&R investigators have confirmed that there was no battery in the home’s smoke alarm. They’ve also determined that the fire started in the living room on or near the couch, but the most probable cause will likely be released Monday.
TVF&R wants to remind citizens that working smoke alarms can save lives by allowing people precious time to escape. Be sure to test your smoke alarms regularly and practice your fire escape plan so your family knows what to do in the event of a fire.
