‘A real shock’: Burning mattress left in driveway of SW Bend couple’s home

(Adding video, interview with homeowner)

Fortunately, homeowner alerted by security-doorbell app, husband put fire out with garden hose

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A southwest Bend woman was at work early Thursday when a security app on her phone alerted her to a frightening scene -- a fire in the driveway in front of her home -- what turned out to be a mattress on fire.

Katherine Meyer said she got the alert and video just before 2 a.m., connected to her Ring front-doorbell security camera.

She immediately called her husband, who was sleeping. By the time he got outside to investigate, whoever left the burning mattress there was gone, but it was still on fire. Fortunately, he was able to grab a garden hose and put out the fire before it had a chance to spread.

Firefighters, along with police, arrived at the home on SW Chuckanut Drive minutes later and sprayed down the nearby bushes as a precaution.

The video footage captures the person pulling the blazing mattress onto the driveway and lingering awhile before leaving.

Meyer described what she saw on the video.

"I've seen a man carrying a burning mattress from up the right of the driveway, and he put it over in the middle of the driveway and near bushes," she said. "And for probably a couple of minutes, he actually stood there and watched it, and knelt down. In the video, you can see a shadow of him doing that.

"So It was a real shock, and I just couldn't fathom what was going on and why he targeted our house" said Meyer.

Police and fire officials confirmed the woman's account of what happened but had no further details to provide.