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Medford apartment complex evacuated during two-alarm fire Firefighters remained on the scene of a Friday-morning apartment fire on Cottage Street in Medford that shot up a back stairwell and forced an evacuation, including two residents who had to be helped down ladders. No one was injured, and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before any apartments were damaged. Ryan Pfeil / Mail Tribune Friday Dec 30, 2016 at 9:25 AM Dec 30, 2016 at 9:34 AM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil A two-alarm fire this morning in Medford forced the evacuation of an apartment complex and required firefighters to help two trapped residents down ladders. No one was injured in the fire, reported at 7 a.m. in the 100 block of Cottage Street, off Siskiyou Boulevard just east of Interstate 5. The fire started in one of the complex's rear stairwells, then roared up into a common area on the second floor, according to Medford Fire-Rescue Chief Brian Fish. Apartment resident Danielle Roberts, who lives closer to the complex's front near the street, said she was alerted to the fire as she was getting ready for work. "I just put on shoes," Roberts said. "I didn't grab anything." At least five engines and about 25 personnel responded to the scene, along with Medford police. "Upon our arrival, we had a little bit of difficulty trying to find it, due to its location," Fish said. "They didn't see anything up front here on Cottage Street." Firefighters followed the smoke to the back of the complex, where they found flames. "It wasn't showing toward the front of the street at all," Fish said. The fire blocked two rear apartment doors, preventing residents from exiting, which prompted fire officials to upgrade the fire to a second alarm. Firefighters helped one person from each blocked apartment down ladders into a lower backyard area. Both were uninjured. "They did the right thing. They stayed in place, they got to the rear of their building. They have balconies on that, and they were able to get out into the fresh air and make their presence known," Fish said. Due to the fire's location, getting water on it took longer than usual. "They have to lay this extra (hose) line that's a larger diameter all the way back there, and then break it off into the smaller line that we can use," Fish said. "All those steps are added time." The flames caused damage to some walls, but early indications showed no apartment interiors were affected. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Medford police and fire investigators remained on scene after the fire was out, putting up crime-scene tape. Fish said it's premature to consider the fire suspicious. "We're not ruling anything out at this point. It's too early in the investigation," Fish said. — Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.