Sept. 12--Part of a roof collapsed during a Monday morning house fire in Eagle Point, but the woman living there made it out safely after being alerted by smoke alarms.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight in the 100 block of Princeville Drive. The single-story house is a stone's throw from the Eagle Point Golf Club.
Jackson County Fire District 3 responded with three engines and a ladder truck, while an additional engine responded from Medford-Fire Rescue, according to District 3 public information officer Ashley Blakely. The 20 or so personnel arrived on scene to see flames that were 5 to 10 feet in height leaping from the rear of the structure.
"It started off as a really aggressive offensive attack," Blakely said.
The home had light trusses but a heavy tiled roof, making it more dangerous for firefighters to make entry, Blakely said. At one point, the rear portion of the roof caved in, but no firefighters were injured.
"The weight of the roof compresses down quite quickly," Blakely said. "There were crews inside while it was collapsing, however they were in the front of the house."
Firefighters had the blaze knocked down about an hour after arriving. They left the scene at 5:30 a.m.
The roof collapsed at multiple points, and there was smoke damage throughout the interior, but it was not known whether the house would be classified as a total loss, Blakely said, adding that the cause remained under investigation.
Blakely said the fire provided another example of how having working smoke alarms can save lives, especially at night when people are sleeping.
Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.
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