Document text
Firefighters overwhelm blaze By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings A fast-burning barn fire spurred a quick response from Ashland Fire and Rescue crews. Several blocks of Granite Street were barricaded Monday afternoon as firefighters battled a two-story structure fire that gutted an unoccupied barn. Although easily contained, fire officials noted the situation could have been a lot worse if a recent bout of rain hadn't saturated the surrounding terrain. According to Kelly Burns, acting AFR captain, the location of the fire - the 200 block of Granite Street - was a significant concern. Members of Ashland Fire and Rescue (above) hose down a barn that caught fire on Granite Street Monday. The barn (below) belches angry smoke after AFR doused the flames. Ashland Daily Tidings/SEAN WOLFE "All of us on the A-shift crew were pretty thankful this fire didn't occur in the drier summer season," Burns said. "Had it been later in the season, it could have been catastrophic for Lithia Park and the Watershed. Any fire that we get up there we try to hit hard and fast to get it out before it has the chance to spread." The structure burn was called into 911 at 3:23 p.m. A second alarm was issued at 3:27 p.m. "The fire had pretty well consumed the roof and the contents of both floors by the time we arrived at the scene," Burns said. Although the barn was unoccupied, it was used as a storage area. There was no estimate on the amount of damage by press time. No injuries were reported. Approximately 15 AFR firefighters responded with two engines and a medic unit. Back-up units from Jackson County Fire District 5 were called in and Ashland Police Department responded as an assisting unit. The blaze was under control within 15 minutes of arrival. Granite Street resident Janet Cadmus was surprised by the fire on her way to meet up with a friend. "I just heard a couple of sirens and I came out the door and a parks department person said 'There's a fire behind you,'" Cadmus said. Cadmus said the heat radiating from the fire could be felt from her home. AFR Chief Keith Woodley said the barn's dry wood likely contributed to the intensity of the blaze. "That's the kind of heat release you would expect," Woodley said. An investigation will be lead by AFR Chief David Hard and Josh Moulin, patrol officer and arson investigator for the APD. "Typically, there is always some indication of what the cause would be," Woodley said. According to Jeff McFarland, forestry and trail supervisor for the Ashland Parks Department, efforts to thin and slash brush areas are underway in an attempt to reduce fire fuels before the start of the fire season. The City of Ashland received a $242,000 National Fire Plan Grant to reduce fire fuels within the Ashland Wildland-Urban Interface area which spans 2,625 acres. Tolman Creek Road represents the southern boundary and Wrights Creek Drive is the northernmost boundary. "There is a small piece of property called the Granite Street Property that had the first stage of thinning one year ago and we're coming back through this year with the Natural Resources Youth Core," McFarland said. "We feel it is very important to get as much fuel treated as we can." The Granite Street Property area is just above the site of the barn blaze. McFarland said the parks department's goal is to reduce fuel on 30 to 35 acres throughout Ashland before the start of the fire season. "When it starts getting too dry or too warm, we're limited with what can be done more and more," he said. Weather permitting, slash burns will continue as area fire departments prepare for the dawn of another fire season. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -