Dog, cat saved in home fire
A residential fire on Cherokee Drive occurred today at noon.
Lisa Hobbs|October 19, 2026|1 min read
LISA HOBBS – News Editor
A residential fire on Cherokee Drive was likely caused by an unattended bathroom vent fan, says McMinnville Fire Chief Marty White.
“We are thinking it started in the bathroom fan,” White stated. “It was electrical. The homeowner wasn’t home. He did arrive on scene and stated that he thinks he left it on.”
An observant resident and a swift-acting department saved a dog and a cat.
“The guys were pulling back into Station 2 from a different call, and somebody flagged them down and said that there’s smoke down the road. They pulled up and saw smoke coming from the attic. They forced entry into the house. They found the attic was fully involved. We put the fire out and rescued a dog and a cat.”
As well as the homeowner’s pets, the circumstances likely saved the home from being a complete loss.
“Most of the heat, fire and smoke was still contained to the attic, so the living quarters weren’t that bad. Everything was above the ceiling. There’s a lot of damage, but I don’t believe it’s a total loss. It’s going to need some repairs. We had to pull down some ceiling to get to the fire.”
The call went out at 12 noon.
About the reporter
Lisa Hobbs
Public Relations Director, News Editor
Lisa Hobbs is an award-winning writer. She has 21 years of experience in newspaper journalism, including 17 years at a publication in Warren County. During that timeframe, she covered both city and county governments, education, wrecks, fires, crime, community events, and wrote a popular Sunday column named Just A Thought. “My desire at Warren County Way is to return ethical and dedicated news coverage to the community I served for almost two decades.”
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