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Electrical issues caused Sunday fires in Central Point Monday Mar 19, 2018 at 4:54 PM Mar 19, 2018 at 4:54 PM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil Fire investigators have determined that electrical malfunctions caused fires that displaced two Central Point households Sunday. The first fire, reported at 8:51 a.m. in the 1200 block of Freeman Road, started when an automotive battery being used to operate a radio and light inside the home failed, according to Jackson County Fire District 3 public information officer Ashley Blakely. Four people and three pets escaped the fire without injury. Crews had the flames extinguished within a half hour of arriving on scene. The fire damaged two bedrooms and part of the attic. The second fire, in the 800 block of Pine Street, was likely caused by a conductor on a surge protector failing, Blakely said. Fire crews had to cut holes in the roof of the house to ventilate heat, and they had the fire under control in about 30 minutes. Everyone made it out of that house without injury, too. Since March 5, fire crews have responded to five substantial blazes sparked by electrical malfunctions around the Central Point area, and seven in the region altogether. The fires caused by electrical issues included a barn that burned down near the intersection of Downing and Newland roads March 5, a barn that caught fire March 12 in the 6000 block of Tamarack Lane, and a house in the 500 block of Wilson Road damaged by flames March 14. “There’s no reason for us to believe any of them are connected,” Blakely said. “These types of fires aren’t ones you can mimic in any type of way. (It’s) just been a trend we’ve seen.” Fire officials encouraged area residents to run checks to ensure their electrical systems are functioning correctly. An online checklist for an electrical safety checkup is available at http://files.esfi.org/file/Give-Your-Home-an-Electrical-Safety-Checkup.pdf. There were two additional fires March 13. One, which damaged a house and destroyed a shop in the 3000 block of Table Rock Road, is still under investigation. The other, which destroyed a vacant house in the 3400 block of Corey Road, was caused by reckless burning on the outside of the structure, officials said. Reach web editor Ryan Pfeil at [email protected] or at 541-776-4468.