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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Women in Business Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend March 20, 2007 Click image for larger view Fire investigators stand in the main doorway of a log house that burned Sunday on North Applegate Road. No people were hurt, but five dogs and 11 cats died in the fire. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Fire destroys log home Family members were away, but 16 pets perished in the blaze By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune MURPHY — Marc Bovet sifted through the ashes of his "dream home" Monday, lamenting not just the lost family heirlooms and artwork but mourning the deaths of 16 pets that succumbed to the fire. "It was the home we were going to die in, stay in," Bovet said. Bovet, and his wife, Jayce, both 42, were well out of harm's way Sunday, shopping in Medford with their two teenage children when the fire broke out. Their five German shepherds and 11 cats, however, were shut inside when the family returned to find their house engulfed in flames. "It was pretty much too late," to attempt to rescue the animals, Bovet said. Fire officials proclaimed the 5,000-square-foot, three-story log house on North Applegate Road a total loss. Bovet estimated the 2-year-old home was worth several million dollars. No cause had been determined Monday, and Bovet said he couldn't guess at the source. Advertisement "To this point, we still don't know what happened," he said. The Bovets spotted smoke billowing from their property at about 3:25 p.m. as they returned home from a trip to town that included stops at Costco, the Grange Co-op and the Olive Garden restaurant. The family waited about 15 minutes for fire crews to arrive and doused their barn to keep it from burning, Bovet said. While they worked, heat from the fire melted a hot tub as if it were no more substantial than a plastic bag, Bovet said, and flames started spreading to nearby forest land. Fire spreading onto the brushy hills around the house prompted Rural/Metro Fire Department to activate a strike team from Jackson County that included forestry crews and firefighters from the Medford and Ashland fire departments and Jackson County Fire Districts No. 3 and 5. More than 50 firefighters from 13 agencies worked the fire until early Monday morning, said Jes Webb, public information officer for Rural/Metro. Crews stopped the brush fire at just over 3 acres, Webb said. Bovet said forest fire was a threat he always assumed his home — with its 16-inch-thick walls of solid wood — could withstand. He just never considered what would happen if the blaze started inside, he said. Bovet said the home took more than a year to build. He acted as general contractor and lived in a motor home on the property. His family moved to the Rogue Valley about four years ago from Maui, Hawaii, Bovet said. He and his wife are artists, Bovet said, adding that he is semi-retired. The family is now staying with friends in the area. Webb said it was unclear when fire investigators would determine a cause, but he said the fire did not appear to have suspicious origins. "There wasn't much left," Webb said. "They're going to be struggling with this one." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary