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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, November 14, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 22, 2004 Vandals struck lumber yard before fire Owner of Merlin company claims grafitti, including ‘anarchy symbol,’ was left behind By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune MERLIN — The owner of a lumber yard that burned earlier this week believes teenage arsonists might be responsible for the blaze. Paul Burch, owner of Long Board Lumber Co., said someone entered his lumber yard Wednesday night and used spray paint to vandalize a forklift there. At 9:21 p.m. that night, firefighters from five agencies rushed to the business at 110 Haines Road and battled a three-alarm fire that caused between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of damage. "We know that someone was in our yard, up to no good," Burch said. Whoever it was also moved the forklift and took a fire extinguisher. Screwdrivers and pencils were removed from a truck parked in the yard, Burch said. Investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the Rural/Metro Fire Department in Josephine County aren’t saying much about the circumstances surrounding the lumber yard fire. Advertisement State Deputy Fire Marshal Charlie Chase said Friday that the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but that his office could release a conclusion at some point next week. Kent Romney of Rural/Metro said: "Investigators have not released any information about any vandalism." Romney added Burch would know if anything at his business had been tampered with. Burch said vandals spray painted an "anarchy symbol" and "FTW" on the forklift. He said a bottle of spray paint was located underneath a nearby bridge, where more graffiti was found. A few months back, Burch said "kids" were caught in the lumber yard after-hours. He’s also had a tool chest stolen from the property. "We don’t know who (set the fire), if it’s these same people, or what," Burch said. "We’ve had lots of problems with teenage vandalism around here." While fire investigators originally reported the fire caused more than $500,000 in damage, Burch said he believes the lumber he lost was valued at closer to $250,000. With the help of some of his neighbors and a few local contractors, Burch worked all day Friday to clear the yard of burned wood and ash. "We’ve got a pretty big mess to clean up," he said. "We’ve had a lot of community members offering to help out." The group will continue to work throughout the weekend. With any luck, Burch said his business will be back up and running on Monday. Firefighters contained the fire to the lumber yard, preventing flames from spreading to Long Board’s main building. Burch, who has operated the lumber company on Haines Road for 11 years, said the fire has forced him to consider fencing the entire property, installing surveillance equipment and keeping a guard there at all times. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities