Smoke alarm awakens NE Redmond residents to early-morning fire; cause traced to improperly vented pellet stove
People got out safely and fire crews removed several reptiles, but a cat was lost
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A smoke alarm awakened northeast Redmond residents to a fire that heavily damaged their manufactured home early Wednesday and was spreading to a neighbor’s home before firefighters stopped it. Investigators determined the fire was caused by an improperly vented pellet stove.
All residents of both homes evacuated safely, no people were injured and crews also removed numerous reptiles from the burning home, but a cat perished in the fire, Redmond Fire Marshal/Public Information Officer Tom Mooney said.
Redmond Fire & Rescue was alerted around 3:30 a.m. to a possible structure fire in the 600 block of Northeast Shoshone Drive. Crews arrived to find heavy fire in one manufactured home and flames spreading to a second home next door, Mooney said.
Residents advised fire crews that animals were still inside one of the homes. While firefighters quickly knocked down the blaze, other crews helped find and remove reptiles from the home. Unfortunately, a cat perished in the blaze.
“They had a lot of reptiles – lizards and snakes,” Mooney told NewsChannel 21. “They were able to get those guys out.”
While the fire heavily damaged one home, the neighbor home’s damage was limited to outside siding, as crews were able to knock down the fire, Mooney said.
Investigators determined the fire was caused by an improperly vented pellet stove, which the fire marshal said was installed before the current residents bought the home.
The fire was another example of how properly working smoke alarms can save lives, Mooney said: “I think without it, that it would have been a completely different story.”
"It is important to check your smoke alarms on a regular basis and replace the batteries at least once per year," Mooney also reminded. "The life you save could be your own. Remember to have an escape plan and know two ways out."
Redmond Fire & Rescue was assisted by Bend Fire & Rescue and Redmond Police at the fire scene.
An American Red Cross disaster response team was called in to help one family, while the other turned to friends and family for assistance, Mooney said.
