Man killed in Baker City house fire
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, March 14th, 2024 in Northeastern Oregon News
UPDATE – March 15 at 10:15am: The victim in the house fire has been identified as 83-year-old Charles Howard Cree. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but police say it doesn’t appear to have been caused under suspicious circumstances.
BAKER CITY – (Release by Baker City Police Department)
On March 13, 2024, at about 9:00 pm Baker City Fire Department and Baker City Police were dispatched to a report of a house fire at 2235 Ohio Street in Baker City, Oregon.
Dispatch received multiple calls from neighbors reporting a fully engulfed home with explosions going off.
Fire crews from Baker City, Baker Rural, Keating Rural, Greater Bowen Valley, Haines and North Powder responded and extinguisher the fire. A deceased adult male was in the home. This incident is still under investigation by fire investigators and police.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon State Police, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, and the Baker City Police Department are working cooperatively in the investigation.
Next of kin has been notified.
Chief Ty Duby
Baker City Police Department
City Manager Barry Murphy provided this statement: My thanks go out to the team of professionals who responded to the fire last night. Baker City firefighters with their partners from rural districts (Baker Rural, Keating Rural, Greater Bowen Valley, Haines and North Powder) responded rapidly to the emergency. All the firefighters displayed an immense amount of courage and expertise containing the fire and preventing its spread to other structures. Baker City Police and fellow law enforcement officers from the Sheriff’s office and OR State Police provided valuable assistance. We appreciate the teamwork from all the organization in and around the city. At the same time, we are saddened by the loss of the individual in the fire, and our hearts go out to his family.
This incident demonstrates how critical our fire and police professionals are to the safety and security of the city and its residents. I am very proud of their efforts and thank them for their service to this community.
