Fire, which caused a loss tentatively estimated at $200,000, destroyed the second floor of the Medford Furniture Co. and caused extensive damage on the first floor late Friday afternoon. The store is located on the southwest corner of Sixth and Bartlett streets in downtown Medford.
    When power lines in the area were shut off as a protective measure, traffic signals stopped and the worst traffic jam in the history of Medford resulted.
    The alarm was turned in at 4:54 p.m., and Medford firemen battled the flames for two hours before they were quelled.
    Three pumpers and the aerial truck of the Medford department were used in fighting the fire, and the Central Point equipment was held on a standby basis.
    The entire second floor of the large furniture store was destroyed, and everything on the main floor was damaged either by smoke or water.
    Fire Marshal Truman Nelson this morning reported that the cause of the fire had not been determined.
    Robert Rector is owner of the Medford Furniture Co., one of the largest stores of its type in Southern Oregon.
    All regular firemen of the Medford department were used on the fire and were assisted by 35 volunteers. Two firemen were overcome by smoke, and Frank Lear, one of the volunteers, was hospitalized for three stitches in a cut hand.
    Every Medford policeman was called to the area to help handle the traffic jam, which resulted when the power in the area was shut off.
    Debris blowing from the burning building started a small fire at the nearby Montgomery Ward warehouse.
Ashland Daily Tidings, July 9, 1955, page 1

    A spectacular fire gutted the second floor of the Medford Furniture Store building Friday evening, causing damage unofficially estimated at well in excess of $100,000.
    The blaze, which was reported at 4:34 p.m., caused one of the worst traffic snarls in Medford's history as rush-hour traffic was tied up.
All Firemen Out
    Every available fireman was called out, and off-duty police officers were summoned to help control the traffic and the crowds of onlookers, totaling in the thousands.
    Two firemen were overcome by smoke early during the two-hour blaze. Both returned to the job as soon as they had recovered. A volunteer fireman, Frank Lear, was taken to a hospital to have stitches taken in a cut on his hand.
    Dense clouds of acrid black and yellow smoke billowed up from the fire, at the corner of Bartlett and Sixth sts., for almost two hours. It was visible for miles, and residents of the Old Military Rd. west of here said the rising flames could be seen from there.
Cause Undetermined
    Fire Chief Gordon Barker said the cause of the fire is as yet undetermined pending further investigation.
    The blaze started in storage rooms on the second floor, in the corner away from the street. It gave the appearance of being fairly small at first, and firemen attempted to control it without damaging the furniture on the floor. However, Chief Barker said the flames got into the attic space under the ceiling, gaining good headway.
    The type of material afire, he said, included synthetic fibers, rubber and wool, which combined to create smoke an ordinary mask cannot handle. The oxygen in the room was almost completely gone, he said. It was then the firemen were overcome.
Flashed Across Room
    When windows were broken, admitting fresh air, the fire flashed across the room in seconds, cutting off several firemen briefly, and giving rise to rumors that one had been trapped. As it spread, firemen were unable to retrieve hoses stretched up to the second floor along the interior ramp, and Chief Barker said losses of hose, nozzles and other equipment would amount to $1,600 or more.
    When the firemen were driven from the second floor, they then concentrated on saving the downstairs portion of the building and nearby structures. No reports of any damage elsewhere had been made Saturday, although burning embers were driven over a wide area by a fresh breeze, some of them as far away as Montgomery Ward and Company.   
    Businessmen in the block, including John Moffat, principal owner and manager of Mann's Department Store, spent the two hours of the fire on the roofs of their establishments, stamping out sparks and wetting them down with garden hoses.
12 Streams of Water
    At the height of the fire, as many as 12 separate streams of high-pressure water were counted pouring into the building, creating a tremendous weight of water on the second floor, which "almost miraculously" held up. The street was gutter-high in water at one time.
    Damage to the downstairs portion was confined to water and smoke damage, except in one small area where mattresses were burned. Much of the furniture was moved before the fire gained headway. The Wakefield Drapery Shop, on the second floor, was a total loss. Younger Appliance Company next door sustained some smoke and water damage, but was untouched by flames. Newberry's was protected by a firewall, and no damage there was reported.
    Most of the clerks in the stores of the block were evacuated because of the smoke which swirled around the area.
    Two or more airlines planes circled the business district several times during the blaze, apparently to allow their passengers to get a "bird's eye view" of the fire.
    The worst of the blaze was out by 7 p.m., leaving scattered small flames and embers to be mopped up during the night by firemen. On-duty men stayed throughout the night, while off-duty men were sent back to get some sleep. Theirs was the job Saturday of cleaning up equipment, drying hoses and completing inventories.
    Thirteen on-duty firemen, 19 off-duty men, 11 volunteers and the fire chief and fire marshal were at the blaze. A number of non-firemen assisted in hauling hoses and other tasks. Three or four men from the water department and several from other city departments also assisted, Chief Barker said.
Central Point Stands By
    As most of the Medford equipment was in service, a call to Central Point brought equipment from there which stood by at the main fire station. In addition, hose was loaned by the Central Point department.
    California Oregon Power Company men arrived shortly after firemen to cut off power from live wires which dropped from the building.
    As the fire came under control, firemen were served with coffee through the cooperation of downtown business people, including Snider's Dairy across the street.
    Traffic, heavy at that hour, was snarled as fire equipment came to the scene, and was tied up further as traffic lights went off temporarily as switches were cut. All available policemen, deputy sheriffs and some state officers cooperated in setting up traffic bypasses which got the flow going again.
    Manager and part owner of the store is Robert Rector, 200 Valley View Dr. The firm is one of the largest of Medford's retail establishments.
    It was understood Saturday that plans are being made to rebuild the 33-year-old building, which is owned by William Hansen.

Last revised October 10, 2010