La Pine man dies in overnight fire that destroyed home, prompted evacuations; brother escapes; no foul play seen

Dog also perished in blaze that set off explosions; nearby residents evacuated as precaution

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A La Pine man died in an overnight fire that destroyed his home and spread to nearby structures and vehicles, prompting explosions and the evacuation of neighbors as firefighters from five agencies battled the blaze. His brother awakened to the flames and escaped unhurt, but a dog also perished in the fire. Investigators said the fire’s cause “was not criminal in nature.”

La Pine Rural Fire District crews were dispatched shortly after midnight to the reported structure fire in the 15000 block of Old Mill Road, with sheriff’s deputies dispatched to assist, Sgt. Kyle Kalmbach said in a joint release by the two agencies.

Initial reports indicated the manufactured home was engulfed in flames that were spreading to nearby structures on the property, and people in the area hearing explosions. Deputies evacuated the nearest neighbors as a precaution, Kalmbach said.

One nearby resident, about a block away, contacted NewsChannel 21 early Saturday to say she was hearing “big booms, explosions, sounds like ammo going off.”

The first engine crew on scene deployed exposure protection lines, stopping the fire’s spread, officials said. A dozen fire apparatus responded to the scene, along with 22 firefighters from La Pine, Sunriver, Bend, Crescent and Alfalfa. Crews were on scene through the night, fighting the blaze.

Midstate Electric Cooperative crews secured utilities, allowing for aggressive firefighting efforts and a search of nearby RVs and motor vehicles, the sergeant said.

Fire damage was limited to structures on the property and several vehicles, with minor damage to nearby structures and fences, Kalmbach said.

The sergeant praised firefighters' efforts, saying "they did a phenomenal job keeping the fire held to that property. With all that wooded area, all those trees, that they stopped it at the property line is amazing."

Around 10 a.m. Saturday, resident David Hill, 67, was found deceased in the home, along with a dog, the sergeant said. Authorities also confirmed that Hill's brother was awakened by a smoke detector, saw the flames and was able to get out.

County property tax records indicated the brothers, Hill and Mark Mooneyham, co-owned the home.

La Pine firefighters continued overhaul work on the scene Saturday while the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office and sheriff’s detectives conducted their investigation.

“Based on evidence located during the investigation, it has been determined the cause of the fire is not criminal in nature,” Kalmbach said.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the La Pine Fire Department said they wanted to thank the following departments for their assistance: Sunriver Fire Department, Bend Fire Department, Crescent Fire Department, Alfalfa Fire Department, and Mid-State Electric.