Fire at Riverhouse on the Deschutes caught fast

Quick actions by maintenance staff helped confine a fire that broke out at a Bend hotel Wednesday evening, officials said — a fire they said was caused by smoker’s carelessness, combined with lint on the ground outside the hotel laundry.

Firefighters responded around 6:45 p.m. to the reported fire on the exterior of a building at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes on North Highway 97, Bend Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

The fire was burning up the outside wall when crews arrived and put it out quickly, preventing damage to any hotel rooms, Derlacki said.

The fire official created quick actions by maintenance staff to call 911, start to evacuate the area and attempt to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers, which he said helped keep the fire from spreading.

“The hotel is at 100 percent occupancy tonight,” Derlacki wrote in a news release, “and by keeping the fire small, all were able to stay in their rooms tonight.”

The cause of the fire ws determined to be improperly disposed of smoking materials, he said.

Lint from the hotel’s main laundry had accumulated on the ground outside and caught fire when smoking materials were discarded off a walkway above, Derlacki said.

“With the continued dry weather this fall, any smoking material carelessly discarded can start a fire,” he warned, adding that more information can be found at http://www.bendoregon.gov/smokingfiresafety.

Damage was estimated at $15,000 to the building and $5,000 worth of contents.

Hotel General Manager David Lenke issued a brief statement, saying they “are very thankful to report that no injuries resulted from the incident and no guests were displaced.”

“We at Riverhouse on the Deschutes are committed to ensuring the safety of both our guests and our staff,” Lenke said. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Bend Fire Department for their support.”