$245,000 fire destroys detached garage east of Bend

A fire of undetermined cause destroyed a detached garage Saturday afternoon in the Cimarron City subdivision east of Bend, with losses totaling nearly $250,000 due to numerous restored antique motorcycles and other rarities stored inside it, officials said.

Bend firefighters responded shortly before 3 p.m. to the reported fire in the 230000 block of Lariat Lane in the subdivision, located northeast of the Bend Municipal Airport, said Bend Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp. The homeowner found the fire after hearing some popping sounds, officials said.

The first engine crew to arrive reported the two-car garage was fully ablaze, according to Stenkamp. They worked to ensure a nearby home was safe before putting out the blaze.

“The first crews in this particular case stretched 2 hose lines,” Stenkamp told NewsChannel 21’s Jessie Foster on the scene. “They had very limited water — it’s a rural area, so we had to wait for a tender to get in.”

“They were able to knock the fire down, and also protect the structures,” he said. “We had to wait for additional water supplies to come in before they could fully suppress it.”

The garage housed numerous restored antique motorcycles firearms, a valuable coin collection and other rarities destroyed by the fire, Stenkamp said.

No injuries were reported, the fire inspector said, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Losses were estimated at $200,000 to the contents, $40,000 to the structure and $5,000 worth of vehicles, Stenkamp said.

A total of 16 personnel, three engines and a water tender were called out. Sunriver Fire Department provided mutual aid support with a medic unit, while Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies provided traffic control.