Document text
Fire forces pair to seek new home A Medford couple must find a new home for the holidays after a basement fire Tuesday morning led city building officials to declare their property unsafe. Larry George, Medford fire inspector, said owners Tom and Constance Maisano were watching television at 4:28 a.m. when they notified police of a possible fire in their home at 1417 W. Main St. The couple apparently saw smoke funneling through a heating vent in the bathroom and were waiting on their front lawn with their two cats when firefighters arrived at 4:30 a.m. George said the home filled with smoke within just a few minutes. "It was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face," he said. Six engines and 23 firefighters responded to the call. They spent three hours battling the flames, which were contained to the basement. But the basement's structure was severely damaged, George said. Support beams were badly burned, making it unsafe for anyone to enter the home at ground level. "The house is just not livable now," George said. Upon inspection, George determined that the fire was ignited by an exposed wire in the Maisanos' basement. The wire apparently dried out a wooden joint it was touching, sparking the blaze. "This was probably a long-term thing that was inevitable. It was going to happen," he said. The home was built in 1910. George estimated the fire caused $25,000 in structural damages and an additional $2,000 in damages to furnishings. He said he didn't know whether the house could be repaired. George said the Maisanos have fire insurance. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA