Fire Destroys Abandoned House in NE Redmond

A long-abandoned home in northeast Redmond frequented by graffiti vandals and reportedly used by transients was destroyed in a smoky, human-caused fire Saturday evening, authorities said.

The first alarm came in at 6:08 p.m. of flames coming from the single-story home at 275 NE King Way, near Canal Boulevard, said Redmond Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.

The first crews to arrive found the structure fully involved and fire spreading to trees and grass around the structure, Cooper said.

Fire crews kept the blaze from spreading and doused the fire at the home, which was a total loss, she said. Crews had the fire out in about a half-hour.

The fire burned the house to ashes, with the chimney the only thing left standing, the fire marshal said. No value was set for the home, owned by Flacon Fund LLC of Bend, she added.

No other structures were threatened, Cooper said, and no injuries were reported.

Cooper said they were told the structure was being used by transients, and there was a large amount of graffiti on the home and surrounding structures.

Ten paid firefighters and three volunteers were called out, with two engines, two water tenders, a medic unit and three support apparatus. Bend Fire and Rescue assisted with mutual-aid staffing for any other emergencies, Cooper said.

The vacant home was in an area slated for development at some point in the future, Cooper said, and likely would have been torn down anyway.