Shady Cove family�s house burns - October 2, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2005-01-27

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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005   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   Real Estate Guide   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   Volunteer Opportunities   Moving to Southern Oregon?   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 October 2, 2004 Shady Cove family’s house burns By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Firefighters, neighbors and several community organizations rushed to the aid of a Shady Cove family whose house was severely damaged Friday morning by fire. Investigators do not know what sparked the fire, which neighbors reported at 7:21 a.m., said Fire Chief Bob Miller of Jackson County Fire District No. 4. A resident of the house in the first block of Maple Street arrived home just as a smoke detector sounded to alert her family of the blaze. The woman, whose name was not available, had just returned from dropping off her husband at work. Left inside the house was a young girl and a man in a wheelchair, Miller said. All of the home’s residents escaped without injury. Several neighbors called 9-1-1 after seeing flames spouting from the home. Another went to work trying to extinguish the blaze with a garden hose, Miller said. Advertisement But it ended up taking 16 firefighters from county fire districts 3 and 4 about an hour to knock down all of the flames, since the fire quickly spread from the home’s exterior into a tight attic space between two separate roofs, Miller said. "Firefighters had a tough job," he said. "It’s a very old place ... and the added roof kind of hampered our efforts." By the time the fire was put out, the home’s exterior had extensive damage. Miller said that while most of the home’s interior received minimal damage, it was questionable whether the family would be able to make repairs and move back in at some point in the future. Several community organizations came to the family’s rescue, offering vouchers for clothing and temporary shelter at local motels. "I let (the woman) come through our shop and take whatever she needed for her family," said Virginia Rigel, manager of the Upper Rogue Community Center and thrift shop. "The community has really pitched in to help them." Miller said he was impressed by the swift response of the community center and others who immediately offered help to the family. "Sometimes, it’s really nice to live in a small town," he said. Fire investigators will continue to look into the cause of the blaze, which appeared to have started on the kitchen side of the home near a hot water tank, Miller said. 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 © 1997-2005 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 Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers