Update (5/1 9:30pm): Police say a burning cigarette left on a couch started the fire that killed two people early Wednesday morning.
77 year-old Thoedore Stanfield and 56 year-old Karen Crayne died in the blaze.
Stanfield’s girlfriend, 47 year-old Johanna Campbell-Smith survived by climbing out a window.
Rogue River police say all three had been drinking heavily before the house went up in flames.
Rogue River, Ore. — Two people died in a Rogue River house fire early Wednesday morning. Fire Chief, Jim Stearns, said the third person survived the blaze by climbing out a window.
Chief Stearns said neighbors called 911 around 2:45 a.m. By the time fire fighters arrivedto the house on Pine Street itwas fully engulfed in flames forcing them to change their plans.
“There was no interior attack initiated. It was very defensive attack to keep the fire from spreading to nearby structures,” Stearns said.
One neighbor, whose house suffered some minor damage, is glad they did.
“My first thought was get the kids and get out,” Joe Tambellini said.
Tambellini said he didn’t hear the fire. A neighbor woke him up by pounding on his door in the middle of the night.
“As soon as we came in the living room we saw it through the windows and the flames were probably about 25 feet in the air,” he said.
Tambellini said he and his family got out of the house as the windows in the living room were cracking. Their fence and some siding was burned. But he knows it could have been worse.
“Thank goodness the fire department was right on top of it,” he said.
Chief Stearns said 30 fire fighters from multiple agencies from across the valley chipped in to contain the fire. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing to investigate what started the fire.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.