Failed heater sparks Juniper Ridge motor home fire, spreads to 2 vehicles, camp

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A failed heater sparked a fire Wednesday morning that destroyed a motor home, two vehicles and an adjacent tarped area in the city-owned Juniper Ridge area, site of several homeless encampments, officials said.

Several callers reporting the fire brought Bend Fire & Rescue crews to the area shortly after 9:30 a.m., Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

Crews arrived to find the motor home and camp ablaze, but the fire had not spread to neighboring camps, Derlacki said.

The occupant of the burning motor home had already escaped and was safely in another vehicle away from the fire when crews arrived, he added.

The main fire was stopped quickly, Derlacki said, but it took another hour to fully put out due to the extent of what had burned. Derlacki said Bend Fire engines were assisted by a Redmond Fire water tender crew and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies.

The failure of the motor home’s heater allowed the propane tank to catch fire and spread to the rest of the vehicle, Derlacki said.

Damages were estimated at $20,000 to the vehicles and lost contents. No injuries were reported.