Fire destroys NW Bend home; cause under investigation

A fire destroyed a three-story home on Bend’s Awbrey Butte Saturday afternoon, though firefighters and neighbors with garden hoses were able to stop a brushfire that threatened to spread and damage other property, officials said.

Firefighters responded just after 1 p.m. to the reported structure fire at 1928 Northwest Trenton Avenue, said Battalion Chief Dave Howe. They arrived to find a fire from the ground to the roof of the house, with flames spreading into the brush uphill.

The house is on a step hill above the road, which made access challenging for firefighters. Howe said it took about 75 minutes to achieve a significant knockdown of the fire, due to the steep terrain, the size and height of the home and the wildland-brush fire component, amid dry late-summer fuels.

Fortunately, he said, firefighters and neighbors were able to quickly stop the brushfire from spreading.

Police closed off adjoining streets as Deschutes County dispatchers urged motorists to avoid the area.

The home’s owner and renter were out of town when the fire occurred.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday, said Bend Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp. Officials estimated losses at $415,000 to the building and $50,000 worth of contents.

Crews were on scene for hours, making sure the fire is out and dousing any embers that threaten to rekindle or spread it.

“We had several spot fires in all directions,” Stenkamp said, which is why three Forest Service units and one Oregon Department of Forestry crew called in on mutual aid “were really very valuable.”

In a news release, Howe said, “The Bend Fire Department reminds the community that since the brush and grass is exceptionally dry and receptive to fire, please be extra careful with any potential sources of ignition.”

“It is vitally important, especially under these extreme fire danger conditions, that you maintain an adequate defensible space around your house, in order to keep your house and those of your neighbors, safe from brush fires,” he added.