Fire Archives

SE Bend family’s BBQ goes awry; fire damages 2 duplexes and 2 homes

August 14, 2020 4:19 pm KTVZ, Barney Lerten

A fire ignited by a family’s charcoal briquette barbecue on a back deck damaged four structures, including two duplexes, on or near Southeast Wilson…

Columbia Gorge fire grows to 970 acres, 10% contained

August 14, 2020 11:24 am Barney Lerten

A wildfire burning in the scenic Columbia River Gorge has grown to more than 970 acres, but crews as of Friday morning had it 10% contained and said…

Weekend hot spell raises danger of wildfires on the High Desert; caution urged

August 14, 2020 9:41 am KTVZ News Partners

Fire officials from the Prineville Bureau of Land Management, Deschutes National Forest and Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National…

Fire destroys barn at Crooked River Ranch

August 13, 2020 8:16 pm Barney Lerten

A fire destroyed a barn and its contents Thursday afternoon on Crooked River Ranch, but there were no injuries to people or animals, Fire Chief Harry…

Columbia River Gorge wildfire grows to 800 acres, prompts evacuations

August 13, 2020 9:45 am The Associated Press

A wildfire burning in the scenic Columbia River Gorge has grown to about 800 acres and is threatening hundreds of…

Columbia River Gorge fire quickly grows to 500 acres, prompting evacuations

August 12, 2020 10:17 pm The Associated Press

A wildfire that started between Hood River and The Dalles in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge grew quickly to cover hundreds of acres Wednesday…

2 Crooked River Ranch residents escape house fire; firefighters rescue 2 cats

August 11, 2020 5:23 pm Barney Lerten

Two Crooked River Ranch residents awakened by smoke alarms were able to escape their burning home Tuesday morning, and firefighters found and…

S. Deschutes County house fire traced to spontaneous combustion of staining items

August 11, 2020 10:05 am Barney Lerten

A fire that damaged a south Deschutes County home Monday afternoon likely was caused by an oily rag, drop cloth or other item from a recent painting…

ODF seeks tips to find who started Fir Mountain Fire south of Hood River

August 10, 2020 5:48 pm KTVZ News Partners

The Oregon Department of Forestry said Monday it is seeking information related to finding the person responsible for starting the Fir Mountain Fire…

Brush fire in subdivision SE of Prineville stopped at 1 1/2 acres

August 10, 2020 5:28 pm Barney Lerten

A brush fire in a subdivision southeast of Prineville burned about 1 ½ acres across at least three properties Monday afternoon and caused minor…

Four human-caused brush fires doused in SE Redmond

August 9, 2020 1:33 am KTVZ News Partners

Four human-caused brush fires were spotted and extinguished within minutes of each other in an area of southeast Redmond Saturday evening, fire…

La Pine pump house fire triggers explosion; no injuries

August 7, 2020 2:51 pm Barney Lerten

A fire in a pump house on a La Pine property Thursday night caused an above-ground pressure tank to fail, triggering an explosion heard throughout…

Wheeler County fire grows to 310 acres; lightning map technology assists C.O. fight

August 6, 2020 9:08 pm KTVZ, Barney Lerten

Wednesday night’s lightning storm sparked dozens of fires across Central Oregon that have been caught small — and one to the east, in Wheeler…

Thunderstorms rumble through C.O. with hail, rain, lightning – and new fires

August 5, 2020 9:18 pm Barney Lerten

Thunderstorms moved through the High Desert late Wednesday afternoon and evening, bringing hail in La Pine, the first significant rain for much of…

Fire destroys rope-swing play structure at Harmon Park

August 5, 2020 11:25 am Barney Lerten

Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a rope-swing play structure at Harmon Park late Tuesday…

Wildfire burning south of Hood River reaches 30% containment

August 4, 2020 4:46 pm KTVZ News Partners

Despite breezy afternoon winds Tuesday, firefighters on the Fir Mountain Fire south of Hood River held the fire within the perimeter and only saw…

Deschutes County grants to help curb wildfire risk, 30 years after Awbrey Hall Fire

August 4, 2020 1:16 pm KTVZ, Barney Lerten

On Tuesday, Deschutes County commissioners sent out a subtle but important reminder of the risks that come with not being prepared for wildfires in a…