A building of historical interest escaped certain destruction early this morning, thanks to a series of fortunate factors.
Early Saturday morning just before 2:00 am, Rural Metro Fire & Grants Pass Fire were alerted to a wall and roof fire on the Wilderville Store.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire that was determined to be the result of a flue fire that had spread into the wall. Thankfully the fire was mostly on the exterior, and no fire entered the main living area of the home. No injuries were reported.
The occupants were initially alerted by their cat, who was making a ruckus. As they were attempting to make the call to 911 and realizing the phone was not working, a passerby arrived, made the 911 call, and knocked down the flames using a garden hose…ultimately keeping the fire in check until fire crews arrived.
As firefighters were wrapping up, it was revealed the house was once a passenger train station from the late 1800’s. The building’s remodel history involved the collection of various reclaimed wood, including gymnasium flooring from Grants Pass High School.
