Neighbors, passers-by stop NW Bend fire threatening homes

A small, human-caused brush fire that threatened some homes in northwest Bend Wednesday morning was stopped when neighbors and passers-by poured water on the flames before firefighters arrived, officials said. Defensible space — in this case, a lawn — also played a key role in preventing damage.

Bend Fire Department crews responded shortly before 10 a.m. to the reported fire behind a home in the 1100 block of Northwest Hillside Park Drive, off 12th Street near Summit Drive, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

Mary Hallowell told NewsChannel 21 she was walking down 12th Street with her dog, Sadie and ” I came upon a fire in the brush. ” She said she called 911 ” and within a couple minutes, it was flaming 10 feet high. ”

” A couple city workers happened by and, armed with shovels, they started covering the flames with dirt, ” Hallowell said. ” Along with a neighbor’s garden hose, they soon had it under control. ”

The fire was stopped at less than 1/10th of an acre. Derlacki said. Much like a similar fire west of Bend on Tuesday, the fire was human-caused, but no specific cause could be determined, he added.

” This is another great example that defensible space helped keep this fire from spreading, ” Derlacki said in a news release. ” The green lawn between the fire area and the home kept the fire from quickly spreading up to the deck and the home. ”

” But more can always be done, ” he added. ” Be sure that there is adequate clearance between combustible vegetation and your home. This includes brush, trees and bark mulch. The steeper your lot, the more distance needed. ”

The Bend Fire Department offers free home consultations to anyone interested in what they can do to help keep their home safe from wildfire. Call them at 541-322-6300 to schedule a visit.

More information can be found at: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-ems/fire-and-life-safety-information/wildfire-safety.