Kitchen Fire Damages Home in Warm Springs

An accidental kitchen fire heavily damaged a manufactured home on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation late Saturday night, but the family was away and there were no injuries, officials said.

Neighbors of the home at 2365 Oitz Loop spotted the smoke and called Warm Springs Fire & Safety around 10:30 p.m., Assistant Fire Chief Karla Bagley-Tias said Sunday.

The damage primarily was to the kitchen and part of the living room, but with smoke damage throughout the home, Bagley-Tias estimated it at “probably 70 percent loss.” No damage figure had been compiled, she added.

Somebody apparently left something on the stove “when the family went to drop off a couple kids somewhere,” Bagley-Tias said, adding that they had been gone about 45 minutes.

“The fire was knocked down fairly quickly,” Bagley-Tias said, but crews were on scene for about two hours, as Pacific Power had to respond to turn off the power. Warm Springs crews were able to handle the blaze, but a Jefferson County Fire unit was brought in to be on standby at the fire station, she added.

Disaster responders with the Bend chapter of the American Red Cross are helping the family of two adults and three children with food, clothing and lodging. Bagley-Tias said they spent Saturday night with family.

Fortunately, they will be able to salvage a lot of the children’s items from the back of the home, Bagley-Tias said.

“It could have been worse, but it’s unfortunate,” she said.