House fire displaces Prineville family of six

A Prineville family of six was displaced by a weekend fire that heavily damaged their home while they were out of town, authorities said Monday.

Crook County Fire and Rescue responded around 6:10 a.m. Saturday to a fire reported by a neighbor who saw smoke coming from the home at 485 SE Elm Street, said Fire Marshal Casey Kump.

Because a car was parked outside, the neighbor also entered the home’s front door and shouted to make sure no one was inside, Kump said. The family reportedly was at a wrestling meet in Tillamook.

Two engines and a dozen firefighters were called to the scene, along with an ambulance, Prineville police and sheriff’s deputies, he said.

Cews doused the fire, Kump said but the husband and wife and four children were displaced due to significant damage to the home’s laundry room, attic space and some beneath the home, as well as smoke damage to clothes and other items.

Kump said an electrical problem underneath the home was the apparent cause, though extensive damage prevented a more specific confirmation

While no people were hurt, and the family’s dog and rabbit were outside, a pet bird did not survive.

The fire department contacted the Red Cross, but the family declined assistance, Kump said, adding that “they have lots of family in the area.”