Gas vapors ignite, shop burns north of Bend
A small shop-garage went up in flames north of Bend Monday afternoon, sending up a plume of thick, black smoke, after someone working on a vehicle removed a gas tank, spilled some gas and vapors were ignited by a propane heater, fire officials said.
Losses to the building, vehicle and contents were estimated at $70,000 from the fire, reported at 3:47 p.m. in the 65000 block of Southwest 73 rd Street, off Gift Road west of Highway 97, said Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe.
Both Bend and Redmond firefighters responded to the fire, which was on the boundary of the two agencies, Howe said.
Crews arrived to find the shop well involved and an adjacent RV smoking, he said. They used hose lines to protect nearby vehicles and the home about 25 yards away.
The shop, the vehicle inside it and the contents were a total loss, with losses estimated at $70,000. An RV sustained damage to one side.
Howe said a small amount of gas spilled and the vapors were ignited by the heater in the shop. The fire official reminded the community to be extremely cautious with flammable liquids and sources of ignition. Invisible fuel vapors can be readily ignited by any ignition source, such as a heater or electrical switch.
The property is in the Bend Fire response area, but in an agreement with Redmond Fire, both departments respond to fires within a mile of the boundary line. Howe said that arrangement ensures the fastest response to properties distant from either department’s fire stations.
