Fire guts Eugene's Civic Stadium, historic landmark declared 'total loss'

A fire on Monday afternoon gutted Civic Stadium in Eugene, Ore., rendering it a total loss and eliminating a baseball stadium that was on the National Register of Historic Places.

A fire on Monday afternoon gutted Civic Stadium in Eugene, Ore., rendering it a total loss and eliminating a baseball stadium that was on the National Register of Historic Places.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, which started as a local high school baseball game was entering the third inning.

The fire was called in to authorities around 5:26 p.m. PT Monday but quickly spread through the entire ballpark. Witnesses said the fire started in the press box, according to the Eugene Register-Guard. Firefighters reported flames twice as high as the stadium.

The 76-year-old stadium, built as part of the Works Progress Administration's efforts in the 1930s, was constructed from old, dry lumber, which caused the fire to spread quickly, according to Eugene Springfield fire chief Randy Groves. Groves told the Register-Guard the stadium was a total loss. 

It was last used in 2009 as the home of the Class A Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League, then an affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

The stadium had recently been purchased by a local coalition and was to be renovated to house childrens' activites, according to the Register-Guard report. 

Instagram user Brayde22 captured the blaze on camera.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brayde Gough (@brayde22)

- Will Green