Exploding tank displaces residents of Central Point home and puppies - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Exploding tank displaces residents of Central Point home and puppies A Jackson County Fire District No. 3 firefighter checks on nine puppies rescued from a house fire in Central Point early Tuesday. Submitted photo. Tuesday Mar 7, 2017 at 8:55 AM Mar 7, 2017 at 10:46 AM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil CENTRAL POINT — Nine puppies, three adult dogs and four Central Point residents are all OK following an early morning structure fire that caused heavy damage to a garage, fire officials said. Some of the rescued puppies were "singed" by the fire and will require some medical attention but are fine overall, according to Jackson County Fire District No. 3 public information officer Ashley Lara. A video posted on Fire District 3's Facebook page Tuesday morning showed the animals in a temporary pen at the fire on Randall Avenue, playing with each other as their mom kept watch. "They are all in good spirits, including mama," a message Lara posted with the video reads. Fire officials arranged to have the animals picked up by Jackson County Animal Care and Control. Firefighters responded to the incident at about 1:40 a.m., according to emergency dispatch logs. The four residents in the home, located in the 2000 block of Randall Avenue, reportedly heard a loud bang and went outside to investigate, where they saw their attached garage fully involved by flames. "They got out and stayed out," Lara said. District 3 Deputy Fire Marshal Mark Northrop said the fire started after a pressure tank used for well water exploded. Fire District 3 and Medford Fire-Rescue responded to the scene with a total of four engines and a water tender. Crews knocked down the flames just before 2 a.m., preventing their spread to the home. The fire had started to burn through the door connecting the garage to the kitchen area, however.  "That's right where the puppies were," Northrop said.   The garage sustained significant fire damage. It isn't yet known if vehicles were inside when the blaze broke out. The garage door was reportedly open when the home's occupants heard the explosion. — Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.