CENTRAL POINT, Ore — A suspect has been arrested and charged with arson after a house fire Thursday evening.
Multiple agencies across Medford and Central Point responded to the fire on the 1200 block of Vilas road, just after six p.m. The home was fully involved when crews arrived.
Medford Fire Department said they allowed the house to burn down since it was unoccupied and not worth risking the safety of the crews on the scene.
“Any structure that is abandoned, is always a concern for us,” Bryan Baumgartner, Deputy Chief of Operations with MFD, said. “However, these structures are not technically living spaces as they sit today.”
Police confirmed with NBC5 that 53-year-old Ralph Richard Blare was arrested shortly after. Officials say he’s suspected of starting the fire and has been charged with arson in the first degree.
The fire occurred directly adjacent to a separate house fire on Tuesday. Baumgartner said the homes were being staged at the property to eventually be moved. Both incidents remain under investigation and have yet to be considered connected.
RELATED: Firefighters tackle structure fire on Vilas Rd.
This remains a developing story and more details will be released as they emerge.
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