Fire Destroys Hay Barn in Lower Bridge Area

A barn filled with 70 tons of hay, a tractor and other equipment went up in flames Saturday evening along Lower Bridge Way in the Terrebonne area, a human-caused fire that caused an estimated $70,000 in losses, authorities said.

Fire crews arrived at 1995 NW Lower Bridge Way to find a barn owned by Ken Caudell fully ablaze, said Redmond Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.

A dozen firefighters, including two volunteers, contained the blaze to the barn and immediate area around it, but not before it made for a dramatic scene and sent up a tall plume of smoke on a hot Saturday when there already was plenty of smoke from fires around the region.

Along with the hay, a tractor and other haying equipment was in the barn at the time, Cooper said. A trailer parked near the barn also was heavily damaged by the fire, which some witnesses said was rocked with some loud explosions.

Two engines and two water tenders, along with an ambulance and three support vehicles were on the scene. Mutual aid was provided by Crooked River Ranch and Bend firefighters.

Cooper said the fire was not completely extinguished by late Saturday night, due to the amount of hay in the barn. Fire crews were remaining on scene overnight to monitor the blaze, she said.