Medford, Ore. — Ten people are homeless after a fire rips through a West Medford duplex Monday night. Firefighters said when they arrived on scene the home was already completely engulfed in flames.
“The entire house went up. I’ve never seen anything go on that fast,” resident Jason Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw said he left his home around 11:00 on the 1700 block of Orchard Home Drive to go to the Minute Market. When he got back about 20 minutes later flames were shooting out his roof.
Medford Fire Investigator Chase Browning said when firefighters arrived it was too dangerous to go inside, so firefighters had to attack the blaze from around the house.
“We do a defensive tactic where we keep the fire from advancing from outside the structure and we keep hitting it with water until the fire’s out,” Browning said.
Browning said the home did not have working smoke detectors, and they believe the fire had been burning for a while before it was noticed. Residents became aware of the fire when they heard crackling.
“We’re glad everyone was awake so they could self evacuate,” he said.
Browning says eleven people were inside the duplex when the fire began. They all made it out safely. And although the home is a total loss Crenshaw said all the matters is that everyone is okay.
“The most important thing in the house was the people and the dogs,” he said.
The American Red Cross has found the residents a temporary place to stay. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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