Molalla Pioneer

An arson investigation is underway after a fire consumed an RV and another vehicle on Mulino Road on Monday afternoon.

Calls from both the property residents and passersby began coming in at 1:40 p.m., reporting that the RV was engulfed with flames as high as 20 feet.

Molalla and Colton Fire Departments arrived on scene, at 13800 Mulino Road, within ten minutes of receiving the call, and had the fire under control in another twenty minutes, before it could spread to the house or another vehicle nearby.

Both the RV and the a compact passenger car were totaled.

“The RV was full of belongings,” MFD firefighter Denise Everhart said. “There were hangars, clothes, and I pulled out a Bible. It was pretty burnt up, but it was a Bible.”

It was the first day on the job for MFD’s newest staff member, firefighter/paramedic Byron Wakefield. When former deputy chief Tim Maronay retired last year, the department did not hire a replacement but budgeted a salary for a line firefighter/paramedic.

Having the extra staffer at the station allowed for a quicker response time, Everhart said. Before Wakefield came on board, MFD was having difficulty getting crews together during the daytime hours when many of its volunteers are at work.

“We made the right decision (in hiring another full time firefighter),” she said. “Because we had him, we rolled out an engine within ten minutes of the call toning out.”

Investigation of the fire is ongoing.

-Abby Sewell