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SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 26, 2002 Medford fire victim in critical condition By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A Medford man was in critical condition after escaping his burning apartment Tuesday morning. Phillip Samuel Kelsey, 36, was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center and later flown to Legacy Emanuel Burn Center in Portland. He had third-degree burns, police said. Fire investigators had not determined the cause of the two-alarm fire that ripped through Kelsey’s apartment in the 700 block of Stevens Street at 6:42 a.m. Flames also blackened a neighboring second-floor apartment. A preliminary look at the blaze indicated Kelsey may have been smoking carelessly, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. Medford Fire Department investigators, however, will not be able to assign a specific cause until they talk to Kelsey, Anderson said. Several neighbors said Kelsey was on oxygen treatment and that they heard explosions at the time of the fire. "There was just a lot of smoke at first and then a really loud explosion and then flames shot out of both apartments," said 25-year-old neighbor Brooke McEntee. Fire investigators were looking for but had not located oxygen tanks in the apartment, Anderson said. Barbara Gobeille was in bed in her apartment across the yard when she heard people screaming "Everybody out, everybody out. It’s on fire. The whole thing’s gonna go." When she looked out the window, flames were shooting from the roof and windows of Kelsey’s apartment. "The whole thing was a shock. It was so sad," said Gobeille, who has lived in the complex for the past six years. Kelsey’s wife, Penny, reportedly helped him out of the apartment. Phillip Kelsey has a bad back and may have needed help getting up from his electrically controlled easy chair, Gobeille said. Penny Kelsey refused medical treatment, Anderson said. The Kelsey’s dog, a poodle-mix named Tiny, died in the fire, Gobeille said. Police and firefighters did not know the identity of another person who reportedly assisted Phillip Kelsey. The unidentified person was not injured. Residents of the building’s eight two-bedroom units had to leave because power could not restored after the fire was extinguished, said Larry Anderson, administrative chief for Medford Fire Department. Smoke poured into two upstairs apartments adjacent to those damaged by the flames, Anderson said. Four downstairs apartments also had smoke damage. Twenty-four firefighters with five engines spent 12 minutes controlling the blaze. No firefighters were injured. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S