A fire tore through the old Paragon Foundry building in Oregon on Friday night, drawing firefighters from roughly eight to 10 departments and burning for hours before crews finally got it under control. The vacant, city-owned structure — once central to local redevelopment hopes along the Rock River — was left a total loss, according to officials.
Crews were first dispatched to the scene around 5 p.m. Friday, according to Shaw Local. Firefighters sprayed water from two aerial water cannons in an effort to knock down the flames, while four ladder trucks were among the apparatus assembled at the site. The paper reported that mutual aid came from surrounding fire departments sending numerous crews to help Oregon firefighters tackle the blaze.
Shaw Local's photo coverage placed the fire at the old Paragon Foundry site on South First Street. MyStateline reported that crews responded to the 300 block of South First Street after receiving multiple reports of a structure fire, while Rockford News First gave the address as 309 South First Street. MyStateline reported that the response drew firefighters from roughly eight to 10 departments and that Oregon Fire Chief Michael Knoup said the building is a total loss.
Hours of Firefighting Into the Night
The fire does not appear to have forced anyone from nearby homes or businesses. Per the same Shaw Local account, no evacuations took place due to the fire and smoke. By around 10 p.m., mutual aid was released from the scene, according to Rockford News First, signaling crews had the blaze under control after roughly five hours.
Reports also diverge on what officials have said about injuries. Shaw Local reported that no injuries had been reported, with Knoup telling the paper as much, while Rockford News First reported that authorities had not shared whether anyone was hurt in the incident. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Oregon Police Department, per Rockford News First's reporting.
A Vacant Landmark Tied to Riverfront Plans
The foundry building was historic, city-owned, and vacant at the time of the fire, the Shaw Local report noted. The property had become a focal point of Oregon's long-running effort to revitalize its Rock River riverfront, a push that MyStateline reports has been ongoing for nearly a decade with the aim of boosting eco-tourism and preserving the natural beauty of the riverfront. That broader redevelopment context underscores what the city stood to lose in the blaze, even as the building sat unused ahead of planned mixed-use development.
Shaw Local's gallery coverage of the fire was reported by Earleen Hinton, a Shaw Local News Network correspondent. No further details on next steps for the fire-damaged site, the investigation's findings, or injury status have been confirmed in the available reporting.
