Thunderstorms rumble through Central Oregon with lightning, rain and hail; one sparks half-acre fire north of Bend
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Thunderstorms rumbling across Central Oregon late Sunday afternoon brought some lightning, heavy rain and pea-sized hail. They also sparked a few fires, one that burned about a half-acre off U.S. Highway 97 near 61st Street north of Bend.
Bend Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said the fire reported just before 5:30 p.m. south of 61st Street was the largest of three lightning-sparked blazes Bend Fire & Rescue crews responded to Sunday evening. The other two were single-tree fires in rural southeast Bend.
A National Weather Service spotter near Deschutes River Woods reported half-inch hail as the storm moved north toward Redmond.
The NWS warned shortly before 6 p.m. of a strong thunderstorm near Redmond and Terrebonne, moving north at 30 mph, with winds gusting to 40 mph and half-inch hail. They recommended, if outdoors, to consider seeking shelter inside a building.
That's just what happened to thousands of music-lovers attending the closing night of this weekend’s FairWell Festival at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond.
Festival officials announced a weather delay and said on their website, “Due to an approaching storm, performances have been suspended momentarily. We expect this to be a temporary delay. Please head to the First Interstate Bank Center and await further updates.”
Someone told NewsChannel 21 about the event suspension and said, "Hope it passes quick ... hot in here!” And later, festival organizers said the event had resumed.
