Bend, La Pine fires prompt warnings: Danger lingers

Two fires in Bend and La Pine about a day apart prompted officials to remind residents that even though fall is nearly here, Central Oregon’s dry conditions continue and fires can spread quickly.

Around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Bend Fire Department units were joined by the Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service in responding to a brushfire reported on Southeast 15th Street near Gateway Drive, said fire Captain Eddie Vahdat.

The first Bend brush unit on scene found about a half-acre on fire in low-lying brush on the west side of 15th street, spreading at a moderate rate, with erratic winds fueling the fire.

Nearly a dozen firefighters quickly contained the fire, stopping its further spread, Vahdat said. It occurred on vacant land owned by J.L. Ward Co.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m. Monday, La Pine Rural Fire Protection District firefighters responded to a brushfire on property in the 51000 block of Pine Loop Drive, said Fire Chief Mike Supkis.

The fire involved 12 to 16 cords of firewood stacked next to a shop and threatened homes in the Deer Road–Pine Loop area of La Pine, Supkis said.

Eighteen firefighters with five engines and a tender from the fire district, Oregon Department of Forestry and Walker Range Fire Patrol responded and stopped the fire’s advance within 20 minutes, Supkis said. . However, overhaul of the cord wood pile took two hours.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire, the fire chief said, adding that thee were no reported injuries.

“Although cooler fall weather has arrived in Central Oregon, the region has yet to receive any measurable moisture and conditions are still extremely dry, especially during the sunny and warm afternoons,” Supkis said..