Abandoned cooking fire at homeless camp on vacant private lot near Hwy. 97 sparked Mile Marker 132 Fire, officials say

Resident 'not known, not located,' officials say

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – An abandoned cooking fire at a homeless camp on a privately owned 13-acre lot east of Highway 97 caused the 78-acre Mile Marker 132 Fire last Friday that threatened hundreds of homes on Bend’s north end, prompting evacuations and knocking out power before a major air and ground attack stopped its spread.

"The resident of the camp is not known and was not located," according to a Bend Fire & Rescue news release issued Wednesday morning, revealing new details about the fire and its cause.

Deschutes County property tax records indicate the 13-acre property, with a real market value of nearly $500,000 and an assessed value of about $111,000, is owned by the Anna Morrison Spencer 1997 Trust in Las Vegas.

Kelsey McGee will be speaking with Bend Fire to learn how the fire was determined it started at the camp. She will also be reaching out to the mayor to hear how the city will plan for future fires. Her report will be on NewsChannel 21 at Four.

Here's the full news release from Bend Fire:

At 2:28 pm on Friday, August 2 2024, Deschutes County 911 Dispatch began receiving calls reporting smoke coming from a property near Milepost 132 on the east side of Highway 97. First responding units from Bend Fire & Rescue noted a visible column of smoke and added additional resources due to the risk of extreme fire behavior during a prolonged period of hot and dry weather. 

The fire ultimately charred 78 acres before it could be contained, with resources from throughout Deschutes County and Jefferson County assisting in suppression efforts.  In addition, air and ground resources from US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Oregon Department of Forestry also were instrumental in stopping the progress of the fire. 

Two structural task forces from Lincoln County and Polk County that had been pre-positioned in the Redmond area by Office of State Fire Marshal were also dispatched to assist.  Bend Police, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and Oregon Department of Transportation were also instrumental in this incident.

The origin of the fire was found to be on a vacant, privately owned 13-acre lot addressed as 64010 N. Hwy 97.  There are no structures on the property, other than wood and wire fencing.  Upon investigation, the cause of the fire was found to be a cooking fire at a camp on the property.  The resident of the camp is not known and was not located. 

Bend Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community that our fire danger is currently in the extreme category.  While natural causes of wildfire such as lightning cannot be prevented, human-caused wildfires can.  According to the National Interagency Fire Center, human caused wildfires comprise 87 percent of all wildfires nationally.  Escaped debris burns and equipment use are the two leading causes of human-caused wildfires across Oregon. 

Help protect your home and property from the threat of wildfire by taking simple actions to create defensible space around your home.  More information on the Own Your Zone program in Bend can be found at https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-rescue/emergency-preparedness/own-your-zone.  Bend Fire & Rescue offers free consultations on how you can help make your property better prepared against the threat of wildfire.