Fire destroys SE Prineville home; residents escape unharmed, but lose dog
(Update: One dog lost in fire; family sets up fundraising page)
Neighbor says he and friends stepped in to help evacuate pets
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A southeast Prineville home and several outbuildings were destroyed by a fire Saturday morning, but two occupants escaped unhurt. Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to two threatened homes, while neighbors helped evacuate their pets.
Crook County Fire & Rescue got the call just before 11 a.m. of a shop-garage on fire on Southeast Alley Way, east of the intersection of Melrose Drive and Combs Flat Road (Highway 380), Division Chief and Fire Marshal Russell Deboodt said.
Crews arrived to find a single-family home and several outbuildings on fire, he said.
A neighbor, Jayden Bogart, said he smelled smoke and that he and his friends were quick to act when they realized what was going on.
Bogart told NewsChannel 21 he'd just gotten out of the shower when he told his friends and he quickly got dressed. He said a friend ran over, climbed on the roof and took off his shirt, using it to help fight the blaze.
"It just completely goes into flames -- black smoke goes everywhere," Bogart said.
He said he helped remove fencing, so neighbors in a threatened home could evacuate their dogs.
As it turned out, a family member said, two of the woman's three chihuahuas made it out of the home safely, but one, named Chico, did not.
To help the residents, who lost everything, the family has created a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/rtk7zp-lost-home-in-fire.
A total of 14 firefighters were called out, Deboodt said. The American Red Cross was called in to assist the displaced occupants.
Deboodt said an investigation determined the probable fire cause was an electrical failure in the crawlspace below the home.
Redmond Fire & Rescue provided an ambulance and crew to cover the district during the fire. The Crook County Sheriff's Office, Prineville Police Department, ODOT, Pacific Power and Cascade Natural Gas also provided assistance at the scene.
