Bend FD: Child with matches started fire that damaged home

(Update: Officials say fire was started by child playing with matches)

A brush fire that broke out in tall, dry grass Wednesday afternoon along S. Highway 97 on Bend’s south end and quickly reached a nearby home, also damaging a fence and play structure, was sparked by a child playing with matches, fire officials told NewsChannel 21 Thursday.

It was the second serious brush fire in the Bend area in two days caused by children playing with matches. A field fire burned 1/3 of an acre east of the city off Neff Road Tuesday afternoon.

Wednesday’s fire was reported around 3:15 p.m. near the 61000 block of Geary Drive, east and across the highway from the south Bend Les Schwab Tires store. Temperatures were soaring to nearly 100 degrees in the region at the time.

A tall Ponderosa pine was ablaze as the fire brought Bend Fire, U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry crews who reportedly had the fire knocked down about 15 minutes later, holding it to about one-third of an acre.

By 3:45 p.m., the fire was reportedly 50 percent lined and crews were starting mop-up work, with a home, tree and section of fence burned along the boundary of a subdivision. The fire reportedly was fully lined shortly after 4 p.m.

Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe said damages to the home, where one corner burned before crews stopped its spread, were estimated at $5,000.

Bend police, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, the Red Cross and Pacific Power also assisted at the scene.

“One of the things we worry about with these fires is the possibility of little burning embers flying from the fire into bark mulch or other kinds of landscaping,” Howe said. “The thing is, a fire catching in this dry grass will burn faster than you can put it out.”

Howe said residents should be aware that grass and brush are “exceptionally flammable” at this time of year, due to the hot weather. He said all sources of ignition should be controlled or eliminated, from disposal of cigarettes to operating gas-powered tools, lawn mowers or grinders.

“Keep a bucket of water or a charged hose handy,” he said.