Fire heavily damages northwest Bend home

A fire broke out behind and spread to a small, 85-year-old northwest Bend home being remodeled as a vacation rental early Sunday, heavily damaging the unoccupied structure, officials said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Bend firefighters were dispatched around 3:15 a.m. to the structure fire in the area of Northwest Lava Road and Kansas Avenue, on the south end of downtown, said Battalion Chief David Russell.

Crews arrived to find a fire behind the home at 401 Northwest Lava Road, which was unoccupied and undergoing construction. No one was living there and no one was reported to be inside, he said.

Russell said the flames quickly spread to the home and into the attic. But firefighters were able to confine the fire to the home and keep it from spreading to adjacent homes.

The under-800-square-foot home was built in 1930 and is owned by Kathy Sharpe McCord, according to Deschutes County property tax records.

Losses were estimated at $40,000 to the building, valued at about $50,000, and $10,000 to contents. Russell said it was likely a total loss.

Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki was investigating the fire’s cause, Russell said.

The home was undergoing an interior remodel to become a vacation rental, Russell said, and had working smoke detectors. Still, he reminded homeowners to check their smoke detectors and replace old batteries.

The fire official noted the early-morning blaze was within feet of two other structures, and working smoke detectors “can mean the difference between life and death in the event of a fire in your neighborhood.”