La Clinica’s new 'Mobile Health Center' destroyed by fire

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – A mobile health center serving the Rogue Valley was destroyed by fire.

For over a decade, La Clinica operated a specialized truck to provide medical, dental and mental health services to different community sites.

This week, a new 40-foot truck replaced the old mobile center the organization has been using since 2012.

However, in the early morning hours of Friday, June 23, the new vehicle caught fire while parked in the 3600 block of South Pacific Highway between Phoenix and Medford.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said when first responders got to the scene, they could hear someone talking and moving inside the trailer.

Deputies reportedly told the person to get out of the trailer, but he refused.

JCSO said as smoke billowed from inside the trailer, a team broke through the door, entered the trailer amid smoke and flames, and got the person out.

A few minutes later, the trailer was fully engulfed in flames, according to the sheriff’s office.

The person involved was identified as 31-year-old Daniel Timothy Garay of Medford. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on charges of second-degree arson, second-degree burglary, and first-degree criminal mischief.

Ed Smith-Burns, La Clinica’s community partnership director, said the organization’s field-based care team is working through how to restart mobile services. Staff members are reportedly looking into using the older vehicle for that purpose.

“We’ll need to explore what’s possible and helpful to the community,” Smith-Burns said.

According to La Clinica, the destroyed mobile center was insured.

JCSO said the case remains under investigation. No further information was provided.