Mail Tribune News - Nobody hurt in suspicious blaze; firefighter saves a pair of kittens

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Nobody hurt in suspicious blaze; firefighter saves a pair of kittens Medford fire officials are investigating a suspicious blaze that destroyed an abandoned house early Tuesday. No one was injured. The house had been condemned earlier by the city and the utilities had been shut off, said Medford Fire Battalion Chief Kurt Bennett. "That automatically eliminates any problems with electricity or gas and makes it a suspicious fire," Bennett said. The home at 206 Elm St. was destroyed, and firefighters estimated the damage at $25,000. Firefighters got the call on the blaze at 4:46 a.m. Tuesday. Crews arrived and found the back two-thirds of the house engulfed in flames. It took about 30 minutes before crews could contain the fire. Firefighter Tim Harvey searched inside the home for possible victims and found two kittens, which he pulled out of the blaze. The mother cat died in the fire. The kittens suffered injuries and are being taken care of by a Mercy Flights medic. They will be adopted by a dispatch manager. "One of the kittens is going to be named Tim and the other is going to be named Harvey," Bennett said. Mail Tribune Copyright �  The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA