Official WWII-era gunpowder sparked NW Bend house fire

A fire that caused $100,000 damage to a northwest Bend home Monday night was sparked by the spontaneous combustion of World War II-era smokeless gunpowder left on the back deck without a lid, investigators said Tuesday.

Neighbors to the home owned by Dennis and LaDel Jones at 1324 NW Davenport Avenue reported hearing a loud boom, then noticed the fire, reported around 8:30 p.m., said Bend Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki.

The neighbors called 911 and used a garden hose on the back deck to keep the fire from spreading on the home’s exterior, Derlacki said.

By the time fire crews arrived, the fire was primarily in the attic, and the amount of material stored in the attic made the flames difficult to extinguish, according to Derlacki, who said all firefighting and salvage work was done by about midnight.

Derlacki said the nearly 75-year-old gunpowder was breaking down, and the owner was planning to discard it, but had not done so yet.

Due to “a combination of the high temperatures (Monday) and the nature of the material, the powder ignited and then spread to nearby combustibles before spreading into the attic through the eave,” Derlacki said in a news release.

The boom neighbors heard was a large can of WD-40 lubricant catching fire. The fire damage was limited to the attic area of the garage, the fire official said.

The first units to arrive reported smoke in the attic billowing from the roof and flames on the back deck and side of the single-story home.

A firewall separating the garage from the main house helped contain the fire to the attic over the garage, the fire official said.

It took fire crews about 40 minutes to bring the fire under control, but not before it caused $75,000 in damage to the building and $25,000 to its contents.

About 20 firefighters were called out, including four engines, a rescue truck and an ambulance. NW 14 th Street was closed for a time as crews put out the blaze, with Bend police providing traffic control.

“Bend Fire Department reminds everyone that we are heading into the hot summer months and time when we have two very preventable type fires that act the same way as this fire did: spontaneous combustion and cigarette fires,” Derlacki said in a news release.

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION – whether it be oily rags or old gun powder, there are materials that when they break down create enough heat on their own to ignite a fire. Ensure proper disposal of these materials to prevent this type of fire. More info can be found at: http://www.bendoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=1138

CIGARETTE FIRES – though this fire was not caused by cigarettes, the way the fire spread from the back deck into the attic is very similar to many cigarette fires we have each year. Cigarettes are improperly disposed of on decks and the fire starts and spreads into the attic easily. These fires are very costly due to the damage to the entire roof structure they cause. More info can be found at: www.bendoregon.gov/cigarettesafety

Both of these fires types are more frequent as the temperature goes up. With temperatures predicted to be near 90 for the next week, this is the time to ensure you are safe with your cigarettes and materials that can spontaneously combust.