Fire tears through SE Bend nursery’s storage garage

A fire heavily damaged a detached garage used for storage by a nursery on Bend’s Southeast 27 th Street on Wednesday, but firefighters were able to stop its spread into the adjacent home, officials said.

Firefighters responded shortly before noon to the reported structure fire in the garage behind Moonfire and Sun Garden Center at 61944 Southeast 27 th Street, said Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe.

They arrived to find the detached garage engulfed in flames and the fire spreading to the nearby home’s roof and attic, Howe said. Crews were able to stop the fire’s progress before it took hold in the living quarters.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

The building has been used as storage for the gardening center, so it contained quantities of fertilizer and pesticides, Howe said. An overhead power line also made the firefighters’ work more hazardous, he added.

A new asphalt composition roof had been installed on the building just last week, Howe noted.

“The old roof was cedar shingles, which would have been a much more intense fire,” he added in a news release.

Losses were estimated at $50,000 to the structures and $20,000 worth of contents, which were insured.

Mutual-aid support was provided by U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry crews patrolling for spot fires, while Sunriver and Redmond firefighters helped staff stations while 18 personnel were on the fire.