Firefighters stop small SE Bend blaze, say likely caused by camper living in area

Fire stopped before it spread beyond 1/4 acre)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A brush fire near a southeast Bend neighborhood was quickly stopped late Friday morning, but officials say it had potential to be catastrophic.

The fire was off Bronzewood Avenue near SE 15th Street, just a few 100 yards from some homes. The fire grew to about a quarter acre before crews arrived to put it out.

Bend Police, Bend Fire and Rescue, the US Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry were all available, and able to act quickly.

The fire was called in at 11:21 a.m. Friday and at its peak was visible in the tree line off SE 15th Street, prompting calls to dispatchers.

Four crews ended up responding to the fire with the Bend Police  getting there just ten minutes after they got the call

Within a fairly short period of time, the firefighters were in "overhaul" mode, spraying the area and cutting down the smoking tree. They had to make sure the fire didn’t have any pockets that were still hot.

Cindy Kettering, Bend deputy fire marshal, said the fire was human-caused.

The area behind the fire has camps where some homeless community members stay.

"We have had some fires in the past,” Kettering said. “It is an area that does have some camps in it."

The exact cause of the fire was undetermined.

Kettering said in an area this close to homes and in conditions this dry, they may have gotten here just in time.

"You know, as hot and dry as things are, it has a definite potential to spread rapidly,” Kettering said. "We're in the middle of Bend, so we have homes all around this parcel of land, there's definitely potential there."

Kelly Smith has been living in his home off Bronzewood Avenue for five years.

When he pulled onto his street and saw multiple fire crews, he immediately thought of his partner and his dog, who were home.

"You never want it to be anywhere near your house,” Smith said. “You don't really want it near anybody's house, and today was too close. It's nerve-wracking."

Smith said he knows there are people living in the area where the fire started, and he's getting concerned.

"It doesn't take much to start a fire, and today was the day where, the third fire in a couple months, happened on our doorstep,” Smith said.

Kettering said if someone is determined to be responsible, they could face reckless burning charges.

She wants to remind everyone the city's fireworks use ban is still in effect, and warming fires are only allowed with permission of the property owner.