MEDFORD, Ore.– *UPDATE* Fire investigators are looking into a car fire in front of an AutoZone in northeast Medford.
According to reports, firefighters were called to the AutoZone on Crater Lake Highway around 2 a.m. Sunday morning where a car was found to be engulfed in flames.
AutoZone employees say that someone was attempting to siphon gas from the vehicle and somehow ended up lighting the whole car on fire. The reason they know this – it’s happened before.
“Incidents have happened probably 5 to 10 times in the past six months to a year,” said Tony Marks, a sales parts manager with AutoZone.
Marks says that the company’s two delivery trucks were recently hit and were both in the shop to get new gas tanks. The car that burned happened to be a rental.
Medford Fire-Rescue Deputy Fire Marshal Tanner Fairrington said the vehicle was a newer Ford 150 and was completely consumed by the flames. He said it’s still unknown what may have caused the fire.
Unfortunately, this was the first time one of AutoZone’s vehicles that were hit caught on fire. Marks says it not only destroyed the rental, it burned a side of the building potentially costing even more damages to fix.
“Just opportunity. They’re not setting out to just hit AutoZone or their vehicles,” said Marks. “I think it’s just the opportunity for free gas. That’s the only thing I can think of.”
Marks says many of the other businesses along their segment of Crater Lake Highway have been hit as well. His building didn’t happen to have any cameras on it but after this incident, he says he’s seriously considering it.
The investigation is ongoing, anyone with information is asked to call Medford Fire-Rescue at 541-774-2300, or the Medford Police Department at 541-774-2200. Refer to MPD Case # 18-19914.
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