Illegal fireworks ignite row of trees at Stover Park in NE Bend; culprits sought

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – An illegal multi-shot set of fireworks ignited a 100-foot section of arborvitae trees lining the baseball diamond outfield at Stover Park in northeast Bend late Friday night, officials said. Whoever set them off has yet to be found.

Firefighters responded shortly before 11 p.m. to the park on Northeast Watson Drive and found the section of arborvitae outfield fence ablaze, Bend Fire & Rescue Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

The fire was quickly put out before it could spread, and crews also checked neighboring yards to make sure no embers had sparked a fire.

“We don’t have the person that did it,” Derlacki said. “We’re still trying to track them down. No one was around.”

Neighbors reported hearing a rapid barrage of fireworks, “like bottle rockets or mortars going off,” the fire official said.

Investigators on Saturday found a 16-shot “cake,” as a grouping of fireworks tubes are called, in the baseball field. “You light one fuse, and it lights in sequence,” Derlacki explained.

These kinds of fireworks are illegal in Oregon, since they shoot rocket-type mortars into the air and explode, Derlacki said. The possession and use of such fireworks violates city ordinance, with a fine of up to  $750 per offense for adults (a Class A infraction) and $200 for minors (a Class C infraction). Starting a fire with fireworks also can result in criminal charges.

Derlacki asked anyone with information related to whoever lit the fireworks to call the Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch number at 541-693-6911.

"Please be sure to only use fireworks that are legal in the state of Oregon and use them safely," Derlacki said. For more information: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-rescue/safety-tips-emergency-preparedness/fireworks