Lebanon Fire District Receives Priceless Donation From Local Business (Photo) -07/04/25

Lebanon Fire District Receives Priceless Donation from Local Business

LEBANON, Ore. – In a powerful show of community partnership, ENTEK—an advanced materials company founded and headquartered in Lebanon, Oregon—has stepped up to support the Lebanon Fire District in a big way.

The Fire District will be sending a 2007 Pierce fire engine to Fire Trucks Unlimited, located in Henderson, Nevada, where it will undergo a complete refurbishment. The work will include a full rebuild of the engine, transmission, and pump, along with new paint and upholstery to restore both the interior and exterior. With the cost of new fire engines increasing by 17–21% annually since 2020, budgeting for replacements has become increasingly difficult. Refurbishing the engine will extend its service life at roughly one-third the cost of purchasing a new unit.

The collaboration began with a family conversation between Battalion Chief Blaine Suing of the Lebanon Fire District and his father, Marty Suing, ENTEK’s Director of Fabrication. When Blaine mentioned that the District needed to transport the truck to Henderson, Marty saw an opportunity to help.

“When my son told me they were planning to drive it down themselves, I remembered ENTEK has a manufacturing facility in Henderson,” Marty explained. “I brought the idea to our owner, Larry Keith, and he didn’t hesitate—he immediately saw it as a chance to give back.”

What would have been a costly and logistically challenging trip was transformed into a generous act of local support.

“This is a wonderful example of a public-private partnership and helps us be fiscally responsible to our taxpayers,” said Lebanon Fire District Fire Chief Joseph Rodondi. “Getting that vehicle to Henderson would have been a significant expense for the District. ENTEK’s support saves us thousands of dollars—resources we can now dedicate elsewhere.”

“This fire truck will serve communities for years to come thanks to this refurbishment,” added Chief Rodondi. “And that wouldn’t be possible without the support of hometown partners like ENTEK.”

Lebanon Fire Responds To Duplex Fire. (Photo) -07/04/25

At approximately 7:19 AM, the Lebanon Fire District responded to a reported structure fire in the 1600 block of 2nd Street. A total of 19 personnel responded to the scene.

Crews arrived quickly and were able to bring the fire under control in a short amount of time. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

An investigation determined the cause of the fire to be a faulty toaster.

Lebanon FIre District Responds To Water Rescue -07/04/25

On Thursday, July 3rd at 9:23 PM, Lebanon Fire District (LFD) responded to a water rescue in the 31000 block of 1st Street in Waterloo. A disoriented individual was reported on the river after dark. LFD and Linn County Sheriff’s Office initiated a joint search, locating the victim approximately 15 minutes later near the upper end of the park.

The individual was safely assisted to an ambulance and transported to a hospital for evaluation. Seven LFD units and 17 personnel were involved in the response, with the Albany Fire Department covering medic services for the city during the incident.

LFD reminds the public of the importance of wearing personal flotation devices and informing others of your river plans, including departure and estimated arrival times.

Lebanon Firefighters Quickly Responded To 6 Acre Vegetation Fire On The Edge Of Town (Photo) -06/18/25

At 8:50pm Firefighters quickly responded to and contained a small vegetation fire Tuesday evening near the old mill site, in the 800 block of Milton Street. The incident, initially reported as a small fire, was quickly upgraded to a first alarm after multiple callers reported heavy smoke visible from Oak Street.

Battalion Chief 31 and Brush 31 were first on scene, gaining access through a locked gate off Milton Street. Upon arrival, crews found approximately 1 to 2 acres burning with moderate fire behavior and no immediate threat to nearby structures or exposures.

Due to the rough terrain and limited access within the area, crews were unable to conduct a direct mobile attack. Instead, firefighters implemented a containment strategy using the existing wide roadways surrounding the fire. Favorable weather conditions allowed the fire to be safely boxed in on all four sides. Firefighters implemented a strategic backburn operation to further assist with containing the fire. 

After the fire's forward progress was stopped, crews established a secure wetline around the entire perimeter and worked to cool internal hotspots using hand tools and backpack sprayers. No structures were threatened, and no injuries were reported.  The fire burned close to 6 acres. Crews were on scene for 2.5 hours and Albany Fire provided an ambulance and fire engine to cover the district. 

Some smoldering and light smoke may continue in the area. The Lebanon Fire District would like to remind everyone that burn season is over and to be extra cautious to protect our community from wildfire danger. 

 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

MVC Causes Power Outage And Small Brush Fire In Lacomb -06/13/25

At approximately 7:32 PM on June 12, Lebanon Fire District was dispatched to a motor vehicle collision in the 39000 block of Lacomb Drive. Upon arrival, crews found two vehicles with significant damage, one of which was on its roof with occupants trapped inside.

Downed power lines were draped across both vehicles, creating a hazardous scene and igniting a small brush fire that was initially inaccessible. Firefighters were unable to begin rescue efforts until power was confirmed to be shut off by utility personnel.

Once the area was deemed safe, crews worked rapidly to simultaneously extricate the victims and suppress the brush fire. One patient was airlifted to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

Power was restored to the area around 3:00 AM.