Early-morning fire causes $500,000 damage to NE Bend cabinet shop

Cause under investigation; officials say sprinklers prevented greater losses

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A fire that spread from an attached storage shed to a northeast Bend cabinet shop early Thursday morning caused about $500,000 in damage, but a sprinkler system likely prevented far greater losses, officials said.

Bend Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched around 2:30 a.m. to Woodright Cabinets in the 20500 block of Murray Road, Battalion Chief Trish Connolly said.

Crews found an attached storage shed on fire and the blaze moving into the building, Connolly said. They quickly put out the exterior fire and forced entry into the building.

Inside, crews found a sprinkler-controlled fire that they also extinguished, Connolly said. Firefighters ventilated the building to clear the smoke and checked for any fire extension in the surrounding walls and roof.

Damage to the building and loss of contents was estimated at $500,000. Connolly said the investigation was continuing Thursday in the cause of the fire.

“If the building did not have a sprinkler system, it is speculated this commercial business would have been a total loss from the fire,” Connolly said in a news release.

“Fire sprinkler systems are critical for reducing fire damage,” she added. “Sprinkler systems are automatic and are activated at the inception of a fire, which significantly reduces fire and smoke damage.

“The destruction caused by this fire was reduced dramatically due to the activation of this system. Sprinkler systems save lives, reduce damage and make fire scenes much safer for our crews,” Connolly said.