Brushfire burns nearly 2 acres near homes east of Bend

Firefighters responded to and stopped a nearly two-acre brushfire on BLM land east of Bend Wednesday that came within about 200 feet of some homes, officials said.

The Bend Fire Department, along with Forest Service and BLM crews, responded around 11:35 a.m. to the reported fire east of Stenkamp Road and Terry Drive, said Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe.

The Bend Fire crews protected two homes directly and 15 others indirectly, Howe said, while the federal crews attacked, confined and extinguished the fire. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies went to the nearby homes to advise people what was happening and to be ready to leave if the fire drew closer.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, he added.