Materials in an SVdP warehouse in North Eugene show damage from a fire on Sept. 22, 2024.
A fire occurred inside a North Eugene storage warehouse leased by St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County (SVdP) on the night of Sunday, Sept. 22. The blaze, largely limited to the contents of the building and not the structure itself, was extinguished thanks to the property’s automatic fire-sprinkler system and the quick action of Eugene-Springfield Fire crews. The warehouse was unoccupied at the time of the fire, and no one sustained injuries. The cause remains under investigation.
SVdP is in the process of assessing damage to the contents, determining how much material is salvageable, and calculating the economic impact to the organization from both lost inventory and fire cleanup costs. After initial evaluations, it appears that a good portion of the products stored throughout the 15,000-square-foot space received minimal water damage and can be saved.
SVdP uses the warehouse at 2975 Chad Drive, known as Sound Stage 4 on the Chambers Media Center property, to store a variety of pre-sorted materials destined for sale in the nonprofit’s 14 retail-thrift stores. These include seasonal donations, such as holiday décor, that only make sense to put out on store floors at the appropriate time of year.
SVdP staff got right to work Monday, Sept. 23, cleaning up after a warehouse fire the previous night.
Additionally, SVdP temporarily stores a variety of new, in-the-box furniture and beds there; those items come from online retailer ZINUS, and are offered at significant discounts in St. Vinnie’s stores. SVdP also donates much of that new furniture to community members in need via the agency’s Social Service Office. Notably, SVdP gives out 30-50 of those new beds every month.
The materials in this warehouse represent an important source of future revenue for SVdP’s emergency services and shelter operations. Those lost as a result of the fire and suppression efforts will, unfortunately, have a negative economic impact as the organization enters the fall and winter months ahead.
SVdP extends its thanks to community members for their ongoing support, and to the emergency responders who acted quickly to prevent greater losses.