Gas outdoor grill left on sparks NW Bend house fire
A woman awoke to the smell of smoke, and she and her two sons escaped their burning home in northwest Bend early Sunday, a blaze that investigators said was caused by a gas barbecue on the back porch that had been accidentally left on.
Bend Fire Department crews responded just after 1 a.m. to the report of a fire on a porch at 614 Northwest Delaware Avenue, said Battalion Chief Andy Hood.
The first engine crew to arrive found flames had spread up two exterior walls of the home and was spreading into the attic space, he said.
The homeowner, Heather Hanst, awoke to the smell of smoke coming through and open window, Hood said. She and her two boys, 11 and 12, quickly evacuated as smoke detectors were sounding.
Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and finished putting it out before it could spread further into the home’s interior. A total of 15 personnel were called out on the fire, which caused damage estimated at $40,000 to the building, which was insured, and $5,000 to its contents.
Hood said the Bend Fire Department and the National Fire Prevention Association recommend never leaving any cooking appliance unattended. Always place your barbecue grills away from siding and deck railings, he said, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. They also advise not to place or store other combustibles close to an outdoor grill.
