Redmond fire crews respond to brushfire, Pronghorn blaze

Redmond Fire & Rescue crews were among agencies with a busy night amid Tuesday’s hot weather, first called to a small brushfire west of town, apparently sparked by a red-tailed hawk, and then to a blaze in a Pronghorn Resort maintenance building that was doused by a fire sprinkler.

Firefighters responded shortly after 7 p.m. to the reported brushfire near the intersection of Northwest 83 rd Street and Atkinson Avenue, said Battalion Chief Jeff Puller.

Crews stopped the fire at about a quarter-acre, aided by a rancher who responded with his tractor and was able to build a line around the fire’s east flank before firefighters arrived, Puller said.

The fire was caused by a red-tailed hawk that landed on a telephone pole and was electrocuted, Puller said. The hawk did not survive and fell to the ground, igniting the brushfire.

Mutual-aid assistance was provided by the Cloverdale Fire District, Central Electric Cooperative and Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch engines.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., firefighters were called to Pronghorn Resort between Bend and Redmond on the reported maintenance building fire, said Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.

Crews arrived and found the fire sprinkler system had been activated and there was smoke coming from the eaves of the building, Cooper said. They entered the building to find a small blaze that had been put out by the sprinkler.

The fire was believed to have started from an overheated electrical charging box, the fire marshal said.

Mutual-aid help was provided by Crook County Fire and Rescue and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, with station coverage by Bend Fire and Rescue.

There were no injuries and losses totaled $500, Cooper said.