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Fire officials sift through inn's remains photo by Bob Pennell Work man Dwight Dahlan of Prospect walks through what's left of the front room of the Carpenter Hill Inn Friday. Workers helped fire investigators sort the rubble into two piles, one to be discarded and the other sifted for evidence of the fire's cause. Investigation into Medford blaze gets under way By Jim Davis of the Mail Tribune Fire investigators dug through the charred remains of the historic Carpenter Hill Inn Friday, part of the tedious process of trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Investigators don't know yet whether the fire Wednesday night at 846 Carpenter Hill Road was accidental or a crime, said Debi Bisbee of the Medford Fire Department. "We haven't had an opportunity to look at the evidence -- or even find evidence -- to determine anything," Bisbee said. Working with contractors, investigators sorted the pieces of the wrecked home into two piles, one to be combed through for evidence and the other to be junked, Bisbee said. From witness statements, as well as firefighters first on the scene, Bisbee said that the fire probably started in a 600-square-foot area in the southwest portion of the building on the upper story where two bedrooms, a bathroom and a closet stood. Investigators hope to find some clues today, but the extensive damage may mean that they will never discover the cause, Bisbee said. The 5,700-square-foot building suffered extensive damage in the fire late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning and the structure collapsed into itself, Bisbee said. No one was injured in the fire at the unopened bed and breakfast. The home, listed for sale at an asking price of $699,000, was a complete loss. Firefighters were able to salvage many of the paintings and antiques that decorated the first floor. There had been reports of vandals striking the house in recent weeks, and Bisbee said investigators are not ruling out anything until they have a chance to sift through the evidence. The house was built in 1909 and had been visited by actor Clark Gable, newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst and President Theodore Roosevelt. It had fallen into disrepair until Angela Caperna, a Medford interior decorator, bought it 1991 and began restoring it. Caperna has been in Los Angeles for a few weeks on business, but is expected to return to see the house today. On Friday afternoon, Caperna's family and friends were going through singed photos and burned mementos, trying to save what was left. Susan Lloyd, Caperna's sister, was placing damaged photos into water, trying to separate them. She said her sister is devastated. "She doesn't want to see this," Lloyd said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA