Fire tied to heat tape damages Redmond-area shop-barn

(Update: Adding photo, that most of structure was saved)

A fire that caused $22,000 in damage to a small Redmond area shop-barn Saturday morning likely was caused by an electrical short caused by heat tape, officials said.

The homeowner spotted the smoke and firefighters were called around 8:30 a.m. to the structure fire in the 3000 block of Northwest 39 th Street, said Redmond Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.

They arrived to find a fire had started outside of an unoccupied 1,200-square-foot shop-barn, used for woodworking and general storage, then extended through a wall to the woodworking area inside, Cooper said. There was a moderate amount of fire outside, near the area of origin, and substantial smoke and heat inside.

Firefighters ventilated the structure, put out the fire and conducted extensive overhaul, searching for any hidden fire or hot spots, the fire marshal said.

The losses to building and contents were estimated at $22,000. But the 13 career and two volunteer firefighters were able to salvage numerous tools, power equipment and other stored items, thanks to being able to catch the blaze just as it was starting to grow and gain momentum, Cooper said.

“It was a good save” of the structure, though the north side will need replacement, said fire Captain Ken Brown.

No injuries were reported. The Bend Fire Department provided mutual-aid coverage for medical calls.

The fire is believed to have been sparked by an electrical short caused by heat tape, but Cooper said the investigation and testing continue.