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Families escape unharmed in fires Smoke alarms wake them in both cases By JULIE SWENSEN A smoke alarm was credited with saving the lives of a Medford family in a fire early Wednesday. And a smoke alarm also woke a Central Point couple when a fire started in their chimney. The Medford fire erupted at 7:35 a.m. at the home of Dan and Alice Rivera, 137 1/2 Kenwood Ave., when combustibles were placed too close to a wall heater, said Ken Goodson, Medford fire battalion chief. The heater had been turned all the way down and seemed to be off, but the thermostat came on when temperatures dipped. The fire in the living room was five feet away from where one of the couple's four children was sleeping. The child near the fire was roused from sleep by the alarm, and the alarm also woke up her father. Everyone was able to get out without injury. "Without a smoke detector in there, there would have been fatalities," Goodson said. The blaze caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to the structure and $7,000 in damage to contents. Firefighters were able to save the family's Christmas presents and most of their photos. In the Central Point fire, a couple awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of the smoke alarm. Firefighters responded at 4:08 a.m. Wednesday to 3155 Ross Lane, the home of Warren and Wilma Dunlap. The fire started around the masonry chimney between the first and second stories of the house, and then spread to an upstairs bedroom and the roof area surrounding the chimney. No injuries were reported. The fire caused an estimated $35,000 damage to the house and $500 damage to contents; the couple's Christmas presents were saved. The fire was blamed on the separation of the flue liner, which allowed heated gases to ignite wood framing next to the chimney. Fire officials recommend that residents have their chimneys checked for damage and cleaned regularly. People should also avoid burning wrapping paper, trash and other items that can cause flue fires. Fire also damaged a Central Point home Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters were called to 5271 Table Rock Road at 2:56 p.m. Wednesday. A faulty wire connection in the exterior wall of the bathroom apparently caused the blaze, which gutted the bathroom, parts of a bedroom and extended into the attic. Neither the renter of the home, Jim J. DuPont, nor other occupants of the house were there at the time. The fire caused about $12,000 in structural damage and $6,000 in damage to contents. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA