Small fire at SE Bend assisted living facility traced to improperly discarded cigarette

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A small fire that broke out Friday evening on the balcony of a southeast Bend assisted living facility prompted the start of residents’ evacuations and was traced to an improperly discarded cigarette, an official said.

Bend Fire and Rescue responded around 6 p.m. to the Regency Village at Bend in the 100 block of Southeast Wilson Avenue for a report of a structure fire on a second-floor balcony, said Captain/Paramedic Braydon Bigam.

Crews arrived to find that staff members had controlled the fire with the use of two dry chemical fire extinguishers, Bigam said. Staff members also used a pull station to activate the building’s alarm system and began to evacuate residents.

Firefighters finished putting out the fire, he said, and residents were assisted back into the building.

Bigam said an investigation found that the fire was caused by an improperly discarded cigarette, found in a garden container.

The fire caused about $1,000 worth of property damage, but no injuries were reported.

"Bend Fire and Rescue would like to remind the public that cigarettes should not be discarded in vegetation such as mulch, potted plants or landscaping, peat moss, dried grasses, leaves or other things that could easily ignite," Bigam wrote in a news release.

"Dousing in water or sand is the best way to make sure butts and ashes are out, before being thrown away," he added.