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Heading home, fire crew happens across blaze By MARK FREEMAN Returning to their station after a medical call at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, Capt. Dale Mawhirter and his Medford fire-engine crew noticed a strange haze floating just above east Medford's Siskiyou Boulevard. "It looked like we were about to drive into a fog bank," Mawhirter said. "But it was weird weather for fog." As the engine pulled alongside Hoover Elementary School, Mawhirter could see bright orange flames shooting through an attic hole above the cafeteria, "and then it was very clear to us what we had." Firefighters had stumbled upon the genesis of a four-alarm fire that caused severe damage to the grade school's cafeteria and gymnasium area less than 12 hours after the school's teachers officially went home for the summer. It took 30 firefighters manning 13 engines and one aerial ladder truck more than an hour to quench the flames within the tall cinder block and wood building, said Medford fire Planning Chief Larry Anderson. Smoke, fire and water caused extensive damage to the cafeteria, gym and stage. But the bulk of the heat and flames was centered above a small child-development classroom that splits the gym and cafeteria. The remaining classrooms and offices, which are in separate buildings joined by covered breezeways, escaped untouched. The cause was under investigation Wednesday. Inspectors were focusing on the building's electrical equipment and systems around the heart of the fire, said city Fire Marshal John Pierce. A power surge was reported in the area 15-20 minutes before Mawhirter's crew made its discovery, but it was unknown Wednesday whether that played any role in the blaze, Pierce said. Cost for repairing the damage was undetermined, but Hoover Principal Phil Meager was counting his blessings that Mawhirter's fire crew had discovered the blaze when it did. "It could have been much, much worse," Meager said. "The whole dang thing could have burned down. "We're grateful there were no people here," he said. After spying the flames while driving past the school in the darkness, Mawhirter radioed fire dispatchers and pulled his engine into the school's west parking lot. Still dressed in light uniforms worn for medical calls, firefighters carried a three-inch hose up a ladder onto the breezeway roof that separates the gym from school offices. They then darted around the corner to where they saw flames just seconds earlier. Fire had torn through the wooden attic walls, and Mawhirter peered through to see books burning and plastic chairs melting in the child-development classroom below, he said. "We took our hose," Mawhirter said, "and shot at the orange as long as we could." Reinforcements quickly arrived. Medford firefighters were joined by crews from Phoenix, Jacksonville and Jackson County rural fire districts 3 and 5. Medford's entire firefighting force was called in, and most of the off-duty officers were summoned to man other stations. "When you get a fire like this," Anderson said, "you need lots of help." With lights flashing but their sirens silent, the engines lined Siskiyou Boulevard while many area residents slept unaware of the events. Meager said he expects the damage to be repaired in time for next fall's start of classes. However, a YMCA program as well as two summer-school programs and several child-development classes will have to be relocated, Meager said. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.