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Man died while rescuing family Investigators say the cause of the fire that killed one man and injured two others will take time to determine because of the extensive damage to the White City house. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Tuesday Jan 17, 2017 at 5:05 PM Jan 19, 2017 at 12:49 PM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat A man who died in a White City house fire Saturday night reportedly rescued his wife and niece before he succumbed while trying to rescue their dogs. James A. "Jimmy" Nickerson III, a powerlifter who was principal owner of Elite Power and Fitness in Medford, pulled his wife, Paula Nickerson, and niece Savanah Nickerson from the burning house at 3249 Dodge Road, according to a GoFundMe crowdfunding page. "That tells you a lot about Jim," said Bill Anderberg, a close friend who is helping keep Elite Power and Fitness going while Nickerson's wife recovers. Nickerson reportedly went back into the house to rescue three dogs, of which only one survives. When crews arrived nine minutes after the next-door neighbor called in the fire, the top floor of the house, where Nickerson went, was engulfed in flames and "not survivable," according to Jackson County Fire District No. 3 spokeswoman Ashley Lara. Savanah Nickerson, a student at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls who was visiting her aunt and uncle for the weekend, was flown to a burn center in Sacramento, California. She suffered burns to more than 45 percent of her body and is reportedly in stable condition, according to the GoFundMe page. Paula Nickerson was put into a medically induced coma at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center after suffering severe smoke inhalation, but is now out of the coma, the page said. Lara could only confirm the basic information about victims' statuses, that one victim has been transported out of state, and one's in a local hospital. Fire District 3 took photos of the house Monday and spent Tuesday confirming reports with witnesses and neighbors, according to Lara. She said it's too soon in the investigation to determine where the victims were inside the house when the fire broke. Investigators are still determining probable ignition sources and the fire's origin. The next step is to map out the house layout, which is difficult to determine because the damage was so extensive. "Essentially everything's gone inside," Lara said. Though the roof was gone from one portion of the house, Lara couldn't point to an area most affected on the top floor, saying the damage is "everywhere." The damage means some factors in the investigation, such as whether smoke alarms were functional, may never be known, according to Lara. On Tuesday afternoon, Anderberg helped members and staff at Nickerson's gym at Crater Lake Avenue and Roberts Road, making sure phones got answered and equipment was maintained. Anderberg said he helped Nickerson get the business off the ground in 2011 after Gold's Gym closed. Anderberg said the gym is "continuing to function," with friends, trainers and staff pitching in, but what happens to the business long-term won't be known until Nickerson's wife recovers. Staff, friends and members were "in shock" following news of Jimmy Nickerson's passing, according to Anderberg. Though there wasn't a lot of additional news beyond the initial reports, friends gathered to pay their respects. "People just wanted to somehow be close to him, and this was the best way to do it," Anderberg said. Anderberg described Nickerson as a "great guy" with "strength in character" as well as physical strength. In the fall of 2009, early into his career as a power lifter, Nickerson lifted a world-record 745 pounds at a World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters tournament in Reno, Nevada. Archives show the victory was a surprise to Nickerson because he was runner-up at the tournament, but his challenger later tested positive for drugs. "I've only been doing this for three years and I was like, I am already a world champion?" Nickerson said in a 2010 profile. "But it is what it is. I was clean and he wasn't." Nickerson was devoted to helping and encouraging people of all ages and shapes trying to improve themselves, and he treated them with respect, according to Anderberg. Lara said Fire District 3 staff are taking Nickerson's death very hard. "We're all prevention specialists," Lara said. "We take it very personal." The online fundraiser had raised more than $10,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. The money raised will be split between Paula and Savanah Nickerson to assist them with medical and funeral expenses. To contribute, see www.gofundme.com/nickersonfire. — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. Correction: The print version incorrectly said Jimmy Nickerson was a former powerlifter. Nickerson had been training for upcoming tournaments.