Fire causes $50,000 damage to log home west of Bend

A fire that broke out in the roof area of a two-story log home west of Bend Thursday evening caused about $50,000 damage before crews could stop it, officials said.

A passer-by noticed smoke coming from the roofline of the home in the 16000 block of Skyline Drive, said Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Bond. He alerted the occupant, who was unaware of the problem.

Crews found the fire was in the roof structure, along the front eaves of the roof. Bond noted the home has a vaulted ceiling and no attic in that area.

Firefighters halted the spread of the fire, he said, but had to open up the roof structure to reach the deep-seated portion of the blaze. There was some smoke and water damage inside the home.

The exact cause of the fire was under investigation. Losses were estimated at $40,000 to the structure and $10,000 worth of contents.

Redmond firefighters provided mutual-aid support, covering fire stations while nearly two-dozen personnel were involved in the firefighting effort, Bond said.

Bond reminded homeowners to check their smoke detectors monthly. In this case, he said, the home had working smoke alarms, and had the fire progressed further, it would have alerted the occupant to the fire.