Fire burns 2 NE Bend homes; losses top $300K

(Update: Damage estimate; neighbor, fire official comments; residents, neighbor had smelled smoke for days)

After days of residents and a neighbor smelling smoke of undetermined origin, a fierce fire broke out outside a northeast Bend home and quickly spread to one next door Tuesday evening, causing about $300,000 in losses.

Bend Fire Department crews responded around 5:35 p.m. to a report of two adjacent homes on fire in the 1900 block of Northeast Cobble Creek Avenue, near Daggett Lane and Ensworth Elementary School, Battalion Chief Dave Howe said.

They arrived to find both homes well-involved, with fire extending into both attics, Howe said.

Firefighters used a deck gun on one engine to knock down the fire and hand lines to control the flames, which took about 40 minutes, the battalion chief said.

“I heard the neighbor behind (the house) yelling, and I thought, ‘I wonder what everyone is yelling at?’ And I just went outside to see — and as soon as I stepped outside, I could smell the smoke,” said neighbor Brent Eno. “I could see the flames, and they were pretty big at that time already.”

There was one person in one house and four in the other, and all escaped unharmed. Howe said the residents saw the flames even before the smoke alarms sounded.

No injuries were reported.

“So everybody is fine, but as we all know in this business, a house fire is a really bad day for a person,” Howe said. “Our hearts go out to these folks, because we know it’s not an easy time.”

Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said damage was estimated $100,000 to both homes and $50,000 worth of contents in each, along with $1,000 damage to a vehicle. (An earlier figure of $700,000 was revised downward after insurance adjusters arrived on the scene.)

Derlacki also said residents in both homes and at least one other neighbor said they had smelled smoke in recent days, but no one saw smoke or could find its origin. All smelled the smoke between the two houses, but nothing more conclusive.

If you smell smoke around your home, firefighters recommend investigating until you find the source. Derlacki said not to hesitate to call the fire department. He noted that bark mulch and other combustible ground covers can smolder for hours, even days before reaching combustible items such as decks, fences or debris, leading to a significant fire.

The owner of one of the homes told firefighters he closed the doors to the rooms nearest the blaze before evacuating. Howe said firefighters recommend doing that as you evacuate a burning building, as it can slow a fire’s progression.

More than two-dozen firefighters were called to the scene, along with five engines, and the Sunriver Fire Department provided mutual-aid support, helping cover the district’s calls. The American Red Cross was notified to assist the residents with emergency needs and Bend police provided traffic control. Pacific Power and Cascade Natural Gas also were called to the scene.