Family, pets escape Cooley Road mobile home fire

(Update: Adding loss estimate; Red Cross called to assist family)

Despite a lack of smoke alarms, a Bend family and their pets escaped a fire early Friday that heavily damaged their mobile home on Cooley Road, fire officials said.

Firefighters were called shortly before 5 a.m. to the fire in the back bedroom of a home in the 20100 block of Cooley Road by the occupants, who had gotten out before crews arrived, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

The fire was quickly knocked down in the older mobile home and stopped from spreading from the back bedroom.

Fortunately, Derlacki said, the father smelled smoke and went to investigate.

An investigation determined it began as an electrical fire in the home’s main circuit panel.

Losses were estimated at $15,000 to the structure and $5,000 worth of contents. The American Red Cross was called in for a disaster response team to assist the family.

“The Bend Fire Department urges all residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their home,” Derlacki said. “Working smoke alarms have been shown to increase your survivability in a house fire by double.”

The Bend Fire Department offers free home smoke alarm checks throughout the district.

“We can help install new alarms, provide ones that are needed and direct residents to further assistance as needed,” Derlacki said. “Please call our main office at 541-322-6300 to set up an appointment. ”

The Red Cross also provides free smoke alarms for those living in Bend and all of Central Oregon. Find more information and to register for free help at their website, https://www.redcross.org/local/oregon/about-us/our-work/home-fire-campaign.html.