BBQ smoker’s embers fall on bark mulch, spark $10K deck fire at NW Bend home
Fire dept. reminder: Keep bark mulch away from your home, for safety
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Embers from a barbecue smoker fell onto dry bark mulch and sparked a deck fire that caused about $10,000 damage to a northwest Bend home early Monday morning, a fire official said.
Bend Fire & Rescue responded around 3:40 a.m. to a call from the homeowners reporting a deck fire in the 500 block of Northwest Greyhawk Avenue, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said. The fire was quickly put out before it could spread inside the home.
Derlacki said embers from a smoker landed in the bark mulch below the deck, which then ignited. The fire spread to the wooden deck support, then up the side of the house.
"Bend Fire Department reminds everyone that keeping bark away from combustible construction can help prevent these types of fires," Derlacki said in a news release.
"Bark mulch will always ignite, but if you can keep the bark away from your home, you can help prevent your home from catching fire as a result of the bark. Whether it be from BBQ embers, smoking materials or embers from an advancing wildfire, keeping a separation between combustible ground cover (bark) and combustible construction can save your home.
"Create a break between the bark and your home with decorative rock, pavers/walkways or simply dirt. National standards now call for as much as five feet of separation, but getting at least some separation is better than none. This way, if the bark ignites, it has little chance to spread to your home," Derlacki wrote.
The Bend Fire Department offers free home consultations to help identify ways you can help protect your home from the threat of fire, both inside and outside your home, he said. Call 541-322-6386 to schedule a visit.
