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Boy, 14, arrested in connection with arson Police arrested a 14-year-old Medford boy Friday in connection with a Memorial Day fire that damaged both halves of a Benson Street duplex. According to Medford Lt. Tim George, the boy was charged with two counts of first-degree arson and lodged in the Jackson County juvenile facility. The May 28 fire took place at 4131/2 Benson St. at 6:20 p.m. Medford Fire Department crews extinguished the blaze, which caused an estimated $30,000 in damages. Occupants in both halves of the duplex were forced to move out due to smoke, fire and water damage. "This was a suspicious fire from the start and it continued to be," George said. The fire department and Medford police investigated the incident together. George said police focused their efforts on the teen, who lived in the duplex. He allegedly started a small fire in the duplex a few weeks prior to the May 28 blaze. The small fire was quickly extinguished and wasn't reported, George said. Police suspect the teen used matches or a cigarette lighter to start the fire. George said an accelerator such as lighter fluid or gasoline wasn't used. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact Medford Fire Investigator Dan Patterson at 774-2318 or Medford police detective Steve Edson at 774-2233. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.