Fire damages SW Redmond apartments

A fire burning in the wall between two southwest Redmond apartment caused an estimated $35,000 damage Friday afternoon, displacing a family of five and tying up traffic near Redmond High School as classes let out for the week.

Fire crews were called around 2:30 p.m. to the Canyon Crest Apartments at 532 SW Rimrock Way, finding smoke coming from the crawl space and attic vents of a four-unit building in the complex, said Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.

The managers of the apartments had discovered smoke coming from the crawl space vents, called 911 and began spraying water into the crawl space, she said.

Firefighters quickly located and put out the fire, which was burning in a wall that separated two apartment units.

Cooper said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

No injuries were reported, as one damaged unit was rented to a family of five, who were away from home, while the other was vacant, Cooper said. The tenants of the other two units in the building were able to eventually return to their apartments.

Red Cross disaster action team volunteers responded to the scene to assist the family of two adults and three children with food, clothing, comfort kits, stuffed animals and information about health and mental health services, said volunteer Thomas Traver.

Rimrock Way was closed for a time, causing woes for people trying to get to and from the high school. Also, Cooper said the Cascade Swim Center had to cancel several activities.

An injury crash occurred on Kingwood Avenue around the same time, and fire officials put in a call for mutual aid assistance from the Bend Fire Department. Help also was provided at the fire scene by Redmond police and public works and Pacific Power.