Unoccupied motor home burns at Juniper Ridge

An unoccupied, possibly abandoned motor home was destroyed by a fire Sunday on the city of Bend-owned Juniper Ridge property, officials said.

Firefighters responded around 11:50 a.m. to a report of black smoke showing from the 550-acre area of undeveloped land north of Cooley Road and east of Highway 97, Deputy Fire Marshal Susie Maniscalco said.

Response times were slowed by difficult initial access and location of the fire, she said.

Crews arrived to find the motor home engulfed in flames and put it out. Maniscalco said several nearby trees were scorched due to radiant heat, but the fire did not spread to nearby bitterbrush and juniper trees, likely due to the amount of rain in recent days and a lack of wind.

The owners/occupants of the motor home could not be found, Maniscalco said, noting that it appeared to have been driven into a trench and unable to continue.

“The motor home also appeared to have been at this location for some time,” she added. Estimated losses totaled $1,800 to the vehicle and contents.

The cause of the fire was undetermined. The area is home to a large transient community, Maniscalco noted.