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Burned house had history of problems A vacant house at 24 N. Orange St. in west Medford, which caught fire last Friday, was well known to neighbors and police as a problem property. [Photo by John Paul Valdez] Monday May 22, 2017 at 10:20 AM May 22, 2017 at 10:21 AM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil A vacant west Medford house that caught fire Friday was well known to neighbors and police, and the owner had been forced by the city to clean the place up in January. The fire, which started just before 6 a.m. at 24 N. Orange St., began on an old mattress left inside the structure, which was frequently used by transients, according to Medford Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Justin Bates. Garbage and other items found on the charred mattress could have been used to start the blaze, Bates said. "Everything from cigarettes to a crack pipe to a heater, so (the fire inspector) was not able to pin it down to one single item," Bates said. Medford police have paid frequent visits to the house, and a local neighborhood watch group said it has been a haven for drug use. In 2016, police responded to 161 calls about the house, including drugs, aggressive animals, assault with a knife and disorderly conduct. Medford Code Enforcement officers found 25 code violations in the previous eight months, issued 13 citations for junk accumulation, and action by Medford City Council forced the owner to clean up accumulating piles of garbage. The fire Friday brought four engines, a ladder truck and 18 firefighters, who attacked the blaze from outside while others removed boards from some of the windows. Crews had the blaze under control in about five minutes. No injuries were reported. Fire officials have posted signs on the structure, labeling it a dangerous building because of damage to the roof trusses.   Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.