Storms dump Hwy. 97 hail; lightning sparks 2 Bend house fires
A string of strong spring thunderstorms rumbled northward through Central Oregon Saturday, with lightning that ignited two costly Bend house fires and a heavy dumping of hail that caused a winter-like traffic mess on Highway 97 at Lava Butte south of Bend.
A report of a lightning strike and smoke in the basement brought fire crews to a home in the 1300 block of Northeast 12th Street around 1:30 p.m., said Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe.
They found a fire in the basement and smoke throughout the house, Howe said. The house was occupied when the lightning struck an adjacent tree, and the electrical charge traveled to the house.
The home was occupied, but everyone got out safely. Fire crews also rescued a cat found hiding in a dollhouse, Howe said.
Damage was estimated at $100,000 to the home and $10,000 to the contents, which Howe said were insured.
About 15 minutes later came a report of a roof on fire from lightning that struck a home in the 61000 block of Bunker Hill Court in northwest Bend’s Broken Top subdivision, said Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp.
The home had been struck by lightning, but crews were able to quickly knock down the fire, preventing further damage, Stenkamp said.
Bend Fire put in a call-back for paid personnel amid a flurry of calls, including a man who reportedly fell 12 to 15 feet from a tree off Gerking Market Road. Redmond, Sisters and Cloverdale fire agencies responded for mutual aid to help with other calls
Meanwhile, on Highway 97 south of Bend, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said traffic was down to one lane as cars struggled to get through the sudden pile-up of hail on the highway.
The National Weather Service in Pendleton issued a “significant weather advisory” for much of the region as strong storms moved north through the area, bringing nickel-size hail and possible winds topping 40 mph. Gusts to 30 mph or higher were reported at the Bend, Sisters and Prineville airports at 1 p.m. and to 26 mph at Redmond airport.
Another such advisory was issued around 1:30 p.m. for a strong thunderstorm near Powell Butte, moving northeast at 25 mph with “torrential rainfall,” forecasters said.
An NWS weather spotter seven miles southwest of Sunriver reported hail .88 of an inch in diameter at 12:45 p.m. Similar-sized hail was reported an hour later by another weather spotter in the Powell Butte area.
Join NewsChannel 21’s Lauren Melink and Alex Biston for the latest updates and Local Alert Weather forecast at 6 p.m.
