Fire destroys DRW garage; ‘defensible space’ protected area

A smoky fire destroyed a detached garage/shop in Deschutes River Woods south of Bend Friday evening, with losses topping $100,000 to the structure and vehicles inside. But fire officials said the homeowner’s and neighbor’s prudent preparations of “defensible space” made a big difference in keeping it from spreading.

The initial dispatch call was received at 6:11 p.m. for the fire in the two-car garage at 18973 Baker Road, said Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Bond.

Crews arrived to find the building fully ablaze, and fire spreading to adjacent Ponderosa pine trees, but over 30 personnel called to the scene kept it from spreading further, Bond said.

Property owner Mark Slater was alone at his nearby home at the time the fire broke out, Bond said, adding that there were no injuries and the cause was under investigation.

Losses were estimated at $30,000 to the building, $56,000 to the vehicles inside and $16,000 worth of other contents.

There were several vehicles in the garage — three cars, a motorcycle and two snowmobiles on a trailer, Bond said.

Before the first firefighters arrived, some sounds of explosions were heard from items inside, before came quick word no one was inside.

Four Bend Fire Department engine crews responded, along with two from the Forest Service, to extinguish the blaze. Sunriver also provided mutual aid.

No injuries were reported, and firefighters had the blaze knocked down within about 40 minutes. But mop-up work continued for some time after that.

Bond said Saturday the fire originated inside the garage/shop and “did not appear to be related to fireworks,” but the cause is undetermined at this time.

Fire officials credited neighbors’ defensible space around their homes with making a big difference in keeping the garage fire from becoming something much bigger, and worse.

“The neighbors had been very proactive in creating defensible space,” said Bend Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp. “We had a lot of green backyards, so the embers that were falling were falling on the nice, green grass. Neighbors here did their job in protecting their own neighborhood.”

As hot temperatures continue, Bond said the fire served as a timely reminder to follow sound defensible space practices, and to keep combustible materials and vegetation at a minimum around structures and near property lines.

“Due to the intensity of this fire, it spread to nearby trees,” he said in a news release. “However, since the property was well maintained, it did not spread along the ground, and firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to the main residence and neighboring properties.”