Early-morning fire tears through NE Bend home

(Update: More comments from neighbor, fire marshal)

Early Tuesday morning, a fire tore through part of a two-story northeast Bend home, also destroying two cars in the driveway, but smoke alarms alerted the family sleeping inside, which escaped unhurt and called 911.

The fire was reported around 2:40 a.m. in the 900 block of Northeast Decatur Court, east of 27th Street and north of Highway 20, Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp said.

The awakened homeowners investigated and found heavy smoke in the garage, so they evacuated and called 911, Stenkamp said.

The first engine crew on the scene found heavy flames coming from the two-car garage, extending into the home’s second floor, and two cars in the driveway ablaze.

Firefighters contained the fire primarily to the garage, Stenkamp said, but there was heavy smoke damage in the home’s second story as well.

Richard Nix, who lives across the street, told NewsChannel 21 he was up late taking care of a sick pet, and was half asleep when he started hearing noises.

“I heard a couple of bangs and pops and so forth. It was muffled,” he said. “So I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but I heard another one and I opened my eyes, and the whole bedroom was lit up with an orange glow coming in the window.”

Nix called 911, only to learn they’d already received a call and a fire engine was en route.

Meanwhile, Nix said his wife and another neighbor “ran around the cul-de-sac and banged on the doors of our other neighbors,” worried that the fire was spreading toward one neighbor’s home.

Losses were estimated at $150,000 to the structure, $50,000 worth of contents and $15,000 in vehicle losses. The homeowner had insurance, Stenkamp said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. A total of 18 fire personnel were called out, including three engines, a ladder truck and two medic units.

Stenkamp also noted that a fire-rated door between the house and garage kept the blaze from entering the home’s first floor.

“Please check to make sure your smoke alarms are working properly,” he said. “In this incident, smoke alarms made a huge difference in the outcome. There’s no doubt in my mind that without working smoke detectors, the outcome of this incident would have been much different.”

Coincidentally, the Bend Fire Department had just completed its first version of a booklet called “After the Fire,” a guide to recovering from a house fire, said Battalion Chief Dave Howe. This family was the first recipient.

“It’s one of the worst days of your life to have a house fire,” Howe said. “We made this thing so it gives you information on who to call for what — how to deal with insurance, how to deal with money, with lodging, all these different things that all of a sudden come up all at once.”