Early-AM fire destroys Deschutes River Woods home

A fire sparked by days-old wood stove ashes destroyed a home in Deschutes River Woods south of Bend early Friday morning, causing about $200,000 in losses, officials said.

Bend Fire units responded around 2:30 a.m. to the reported house fire in the 60100 block of Cinder Butte Road, Battalion Chief David Russell said.

By the time the first crews arrived, residents had evacuated the roughly 1,500-square-foot manufactured home, thanks to working smoke detectors that helped alert them, Russell said.

Flames were visible from the rear of the home and firefighters learned the fire had started on a back deck and spread into the home.

A total of 16 fire personnel were called to put out the fire, which caused $150,000 in losses to the structure and $50,000 worth of contents, Russell said.

The occupant said he’d put some wood stove ashes in a metal bucket on the back deck two or three days earlier. On Thursday, Russell said, he moved the ashes to the plastic garbage can on the deck, thinking they were cold and dead out.

American Red Cross disaster responders were called in to assist the displaced residents.

The Bend Fire Department reminded residents with wood stoves or fireplaces to dispose of ashes in metal containers and always keep them away from the home or other combustibles. It’s also a good idea to put water in the metal container and stir the ashes to help make sure they are fully extinguished, Russell said.

Ashes should only be used for gardening or disposed of in the garbage when they are confirmed out by touch, he added.