Glow alerts Sisters visitors to hot tub, house fire

A glow through the bedroom window early Wednesday alerted a family staying at a Sisters vacation rental to a hot tub fire that also spread to and burned part of the home’s exterior, officials said.

The first Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire District crews to arrive at the home in the 100 block of East Black Crater Avenue around 1:30 a.m. found the hot tub and a corner of the home ablaze and quickly extinguished it, fire district Public Information Officer Julie Spor said in a news release.

The family had evacuated the home and tried to alert neighbor as the fire burned an area about 7-by-14 feet, including the hot tub and exterior wall. Damage was estimated at about $10,000.

After dousing the fire, crews removed burned siding and put plastic on the damaged area to protect it from the weather.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but Spor said it’s believed to have been caused by a hot tub malfunction.

Units from the Black Butte and Cloverdale fire districts also responded for a total of 16 personnel on scene.

Shift Commander Thornton Brown said “The occupants did the right thing by quickly evacuating the home, calling 911 and alerting the neighbors.”

The home is equipped with smoke detectors, but due to the fire burning on the exterior, the alarms never alerted the occupants, though they did eventually sound as crews extinguished the flames.

Spor said, “This is a good reminder when visiting unfamiliar places (vacation homes, hotels, businesses) to locate at least two exits in the event of an emergency.”