Fire destroys small home in downtown Sisters

Investigators are looking for the cause of a fire that tore through a small, 85-year-old home in downtown Sisters early Sunday morning, despite the efforts of nearly two-dozen firefighters.

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District crews responded shortly after 6:30 a.m. to several calls about the fire at 250 North Spruce Street, said Fire Chief Roger Johnson.

Firefighters were on scene within five minutes and worked to keep the fires from spreading to a neighboring home and large Ponderosa pine tree, Johnson said.

Crews were on scene for several hours, extinguishing hard-to-reach, smoldering areas of the 664-square-foot home, owned by Kenneth and Connie Chin of Yorba Linda, Calif., according to Deschutes County property tax records.

The home, valued at $65,000, was a total loss, but there were no civilian or firefighter injuries, the fire chief said.

One person was home when the fire broke out, apparently the homeowners’ son, the fire chief said.

Sisters-Camp Sherman firefighters were assisted by crews from Cloverdale and Black Butte Ranch fire districts, for a total of 23 firefighters who worked to put out the blaze, Johnson said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, as well as Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and Sisters-Camp Sherman fire personnel. Black Butte Ranch police also assisted at the scene.