Patrol Gunshots Close Call 2009

On September 26, 2009, two firefighters from Western Lane District were doing a routine patrol in a forested area west of Cottage Grove, Oregon.  The firefighters were driving a 2006 Type 6 fire engine. As the firefighters were driving up a dead-end gravel road, five miles off the main paved road, they heard a pop sound. They immediately stopped the engine thinking maybe they had an issue with one of the tires. Both the driver and the passenger got out of the engine to check tires. As the driver stood up to move to the opposite side of the engine, she heard another pop sound and a banging sound at the truck. Looking toward the engine, she saw the hole in the windshield. She yelled to her  passenger to get into the engine because they were being shot at. As they jumped into the engine they heard another shot. The driver told her passenger to get down as she started the engine and--with some difficulty--quickly got the manual transmission into reverse. Getting as low as she could herself and still see, she backed the engine 50 feet to a good turn­a­round spot that she had noticed on their way in. She got the engine turned around and headed out the direction from which they came. Both firefighters said they heard one more shot and a bullet fly past the engine.

Close Call