‘Part of history lost:’ Redmond native who retired near Chiloquin loses everything to destructive Copperfield Fire

(Update: adding video, comment from homeowner)

CHILOQUIN, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A fire burning more than 100 miles from Central Oregon destroyed the home of a Redmond native and Bend business owner who retired in recent years to an "off-the-grid" property near Chiloquin.

"We had 20 acres, and we had a nice home and the shops, and had equipment and everything -- and everything's just a skeleton now," David Cheney told us Monday.

The Copperfield Fire has caused $8 million in damage, destroying eight homes and 22 other structures. The homes included one owned by Cheney, who retired to the spot near Chiloquin two years ago.

"There was fire on both sides of the road," Cheney said, recalling the day the fire broke out on Sunday, Sept. 1. "I had a boat on behind me, so I had to back it in to a driveway, went down the driveway a ways and fire was you know, getting out of control. And then I started hearing explosions from where my house was."

Cheney was returning from a fishing trip when he got word of the fire from his wife, who was on the property. Within 30 minutes, flames destroyed the home they'd been remodeling for 15 years.  

"We worked towards that, to be able to retire," Cheney said. "We paid as we went, so we wouldn't owe anything, so we were debt-free. That was our only opportunity to retire."

Cheney and his wife now temporarily live in their camper at Sundance Meadows Ranch southeast of Bend, having made it out of the fire with very little.

"All of our documents, all of our cash savings, all of my collectible stuff that I've collected over my life just vanished," Cheney said. "And whether or not I'll get much of it back - you know, I'll get some money back. But all of that stuff - I mean, I had native collectibles that were irreplaceable, and I'll never get that back. It's just part of history that's lost."

Cheney's wife said she heard gunshots from target shooting prior to the fire's start. The Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team is investigating the fire's cause.

"That was my future, and it was a legacy that has been passed down to the kids and it's not going to happen," said Cheney.

Earlier, Cheney told us, "I was the first one to get burned out by the fire," adding that the fire "was caused by a careless neighbor." 

"I lost virtually everything except for what I was driving and wearing," he said.

"We were fortunate that our camp trailer was at Sundance Meadows in Bend, or we would have not had a place to live," Cheney added.

"The only thing that makes this somewhat bearable is the incredible amount of love and support from our friends, relatives and classmates. Redmond was a close community, and I went all through school there, so my roots run deep."

Cheney tells NewsChannel 21 they're working with the insurance company to find a more permanent place to live. In the meantime, an online fundraiser has been created by their daughter, to help the Cheneys during this challenging time.    

The Copperfield Fire has burned more than 3,800 acres, but as of Monday was 77% contained.

Here's Monday's update on the Copperfield Fire:

Copperfield Fire
Morning Update

Fire information resources:

InciWeb: Copperfield Fire - OR98S Facebook: Copperfield Fire 2024 Email: CopperfieldFire2024.Info@gmail.com Phone: 541-883-5681 (8 am to 5 pm) UPDATED

FIRE AT A GLANCE

Estimated  Size:  3,822  acres

Containment:  77%

Cause:  Under Investigation

Estimated Cost:  $8.0 million

Primary residences destroyed:  8

Other buildings destroyed:  22

Evacuations
Klamath County Emergency Management

Road Closures
For road closure updates, visit: https://www.tripcheck.com

Resources

Hand Crews:                           19

Engines:                                     23

Water Tenders:                       14

Dozers:                                         5

Helicopters:                               5

Other Equipment:                    7

Total Personnel:                  587

ODF Incident Commander

Tyler McCarty

Chiloquin, Ore. – Crews continued their progress in mop up and building containment. Work around structures continues, bringing the depth to 200 feet around homes and structures. With the difficult terrain on Corbell Butte making for slower work, there is still has some heat near the fire lines. The rest of the fire is at 75 to 100 feet deep.  With this continued success, containment increased to 77%.

Today’s weather will continue the cooling temperatures, higher relative humidity and lighter winds. These conditions help crews to continue their mop up efforts and push deeper into the black areas around the fire perimeter. With the shifting winds, smoke has moved into the fire area.

Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations remain around the Copperfield Fire.  Evacuation levels are determined by the Klamath County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with fire officials and agency administrators. Current evacuation areas and levels can be found at https://www.klamathcounty.org/300/Emergency-Management.