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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford radiologist and son will participate in first regatta to Havana since 1959 ... Our View: Ashland can't ease past travelers issue ... Letters to the editor: Oct. 28, 2015 ... Medford radiologist and son will participate in first regatta to Havana since 1959 ... Our View: Ashland can't ease past travelers issue ... Letters to the editor: Oct. 28, 2015 ... PUBLIC SAFETY Cat dies in fire that burned interior of Ashland house Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 27, 2015 at 8:58 AM Updated Oct 27, 2015 at 4:20 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 27, 2015 at 8:58 AM Updated Oct 27, 2015 at 4:20 PM » Social News An Ashland family of three made it out of a house fire unscathed early Tuesday, but their pet cat died. Daniel O'Rourke said he was returning from an early-morning run to 7-11 for cigarettes when he saw thick smoke belching from his house. O'Rourke had awakened about 45 minutes earlier to the sounds of his young son fussing and came out of his bedroom to see his girlfriend feeding the boy a bottle and soothing him back to sleep. O'Rourke left his home, a duplex at 84 S. Mountain Ave., for the quick trip to 7-11. "All was quiet," O'Rourke said. "When I returned 40 minutes later, all this had happened." Panicked upon his return, O'Rourke went looking for his family but found they had made it out safely and without injury. O'Rourke said his girlfriend had put their son back to sleep, then went to sleep herself, but was awakened shortly after by the flames and smoke. Their pet cat died inside, and a fire official said the rental could no longer be occupied. Ashland Fire & Rescue and Jackson County Fire District No. 5 responded to the scene with three engines and about 15 firefighters, according to AFR Division Chief Margueritte Hickman. Emergency dispatch logs show the fire was reported at 3:18 a.m. The blaze initially was reported as a two-alarm fire. "The initial report was someone was trapped inside. Fortunately that was not the case," Hickman said. Crews arrived to find a majority of the flames had burned down. The scorched interior was still quite hot, however, and smoke continued to pour off the structure. Crews poured water on the remaining flames until they were extinguished. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The structure still stands, but much of the interior was destroyed, along with a majority of the contents. "It's not habitable," Hickman said. O'Rourke said he has rented the property since July 2013, and that he performed restoration and maintenance on it and several of the adjacent properties. He said the house used to be part of a general store in another part of town, but was moved to its current spot in the 1970s. O'Rourke said he didn't know what his next move would be, but said he may end up staying with relatives for the time being. He's relieved his family made it out of the house unharmed. "I'm grateful that they're OK," O'Rourke said. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 27, 2015 at 8:58 AM Updated Oct 27, 2015 at 4:20 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501