Fire destroys south Medford home

Medford, Ore. — A south Medford home was a total loss on Thursday night after going up in flames. Medford Fire, Fire District No. 5 and the Oregon Department of Forestry all battled the blaze, and while they couldn’t save the home, they were able to keep it from spreading to neighboring trees.

“The fire began immediately on the mattress, my sister was up there trying to put it out,” said homeowner Anne Billeter.

As smoke filled the sky, a 60-year-old home went up in flames on the 4900 block of Griffin Creek Road in south Medford Wednesday night.

“We have just lost everything,” Billeter said. Her sister was sent to Rogue Regional Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

Multiple firefighting agencies arrived at the scene and said they had no choice but to let it burn, and went into defense mode.

“We got up here with our engines and we had severe fire going out of you know probably three-quarters of the building,” said John Lockett, deputy chief for Fire District No. 5.

At that point, firefighters were just trying to make sure it didn’t spread to the wildland nearby… as the home is surrounded by 30 acres of trees.

“The structure at that time was pretty much a total loss at that point. we went into defensive mode,” Lockett said.

On Thursday, Fire District No. 5 returned to the home to try to salvage what they could.

“Whatever we can to help save some of their belongings,” Lockett said.

As the investigation into what caused the fire begins, Billeter said she thinks about what happened.

“I don’t think I could’ve done anything to prevent this unless I rewired the whole old portion of the house,” Billeter said.

Firefighters say their first interview will Billeter’s sister, who we’re told was visiting the area from San Diego.

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