Fire at vacant Saddleback home tied to electrical failure

A fire at a vacant home in the Saddleback neighborhood northwest of Bend caused an estimated $15,000 damage late Sunday night. Investigators traced the fire to an accidental failure of the home’s main power supply.

Firefighters were called shortly after 11 p.m. to a report of a fire on the side of a home at 19083 Saddleback Lane, said Deputy fire Marshal Dan Derlacki.

Crews found a small fire on the garage exterior and quickly kept it from spreading, Derlacki said.

Initially, the fire was deemed suspicious because the home was unoccupied and a caller to 911 reported hearing what sounded like fireworks popping at the house.

But Derlacki said their examination of the scene found the main power supply to the home failed inside an exterior wall. The fire spread from the wall to the exterior and to bark mulch up against the side of the house. The adjacent door burned as well, he said.

Still, the neighbor’s quick call allowed firefighters to keep the fire from spreading further. The popping sounds actually were sparks from the electrical line failing and shorting.

Bend Fire Department reminds all residents to have their power checked by a qualified electrician or power company if there is any problems noted. Flickering lights, outlets/switches that don’t work, etc can be signs of problems hidden from view inside walls. More information can be found at our Electrical Safety Tips page: http://www.bendoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=1136