Likely cause found for Juniper Canyon shop, house fire

(Update: Fire’s apparent cause)

A fire late Sunday night in the Juniper Canyon area south of Prineville destroyed an unoccupied home and shop and was spreading to nearby nearby brush, prompting some neighbor evacuations until Crook County crews could get a handle on the blaze, officials said.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, Crook County Fire and Rescue got a call from sheriff’s deputies reporting the fire in the 6000 block of Southeast Akins Drive, said Fire Chief Matt Smith. The first arriving crews found a manufactured home and shop engulfed in flames, he said.

The fire was spreading to the wildland, Smith said, but crews were able to quickly contain it. Some residents were briefly evacuated by sheriff’s deputies as a precautionary measure, but they were allowed to return home once the fire was better contained.

“We believe the occupants were out of town,” Smith said. “Law enforcement confirmed that. A single-family home was fully involved as well as a shop.”

Two fire engines, 13 firefighters and an ambulance were called to the scene.

Smith said Tuesday the cause of the fire likely was an electrical problem in the shop adjacent to the home.

The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the homeowner with emergency needs.

Crews stayed on scene overnight to mop up and watch for hot spots.