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Around 2:45pm Thursday afternoon, a man reported to 911 seeing smoke and flame coming from a home that he was house sitting. The residents were on vacation. Crews arrived on scene at 2973 NE Rock Chuck Dr and found a two story residence engulfed with flame and smoke coming from the living room and second story window. After quick extinguishment, a search was done and found no occupants inside. A cat and dog were found in good health and taken to a safe area. Unfortunately, one dog perished in the fire. The blaze took about 20 minutes to extinguish. Upon investigation, it appeared the fire was accidental and started from improperly discarded ashes from the wood burning stove, that were placed in a plastic bucket and left inside the home, near the woodstove. There was extreme fire and smoke damage to the entire interior of the house. 

Bend Fire & Rescue would like to share a reminder that Hot or cold ashes from a wood stove should always be placed in a metal container with a lid and moved to the outside of the home, away from any combustible material. 

Credit Bend Fire

Santa Express to Collect Food, Clothing, and Toys for Families in Need

Santa and the Bend Fire Department Santa Express are back spreading holiday cheer! We will be driving through neighborhoods with our friend Santa collecting food, clothing and toys to support the Salvation Army. 

In 2022, The Salvation Army and Santa Express collected thousands of pounds of food plus much needed clothing and toys to over 600 families in the Bend area. Anything and everything helps, even if it’s one can of food or a small toy that donation will go a long ways to providing a good dinner and a nice gift on Christmas and a smile on a child’s face Christmas morning. The Salvation Army would like to express the need for gifts to be given to teenage age kids as well. Please join the Bend Fire Department in supporting our community! 2023 has brought more community need this year and we’re asking for your help and support. 

Here is a list of the neighborhoods with maps for our nightly walks: 
(maps available on our website www.bendoregon.gov/santaexpress)

- Monday December 4th - Foxborough, Larkspur, Sun Meadow neighborhoods 

- Tuesday December 5th - Three Pines Ridge, Shevlin Ridge and Shevlin Meadows neighborhoods

- Wednesday December 6th - Pineridge, River Canyon and Aspen Rim neighborhoods

 

Drop off non-perishable foods, new toys or clothing at any of these locations. Boxes will be in place until Friday December 15, 2023:

• Bend Fire & Rescue Fire Stations – blue recycling bins will be at each system for drop offs:
  • West Fire Station – 1212 SW Simpson Ave
  • East Fire Station – 62420 Hamby Rd
  • North Fire Station – 63377 Jamison St
  • South Fire Station – 61080 Country Club Dr
  • Tumalo Fire Station – 64725 Cook Ave 
  • Pilot Butte Fire Station – 425 NE 15^th St 
• The Salvation Army – 515 NE Dekalb Ave.
• The Bend Airport flight center – 63132 Powell Butte Highway 

If you can’t make it any of these locations and would like someone to come by and pick up your donation in the Bend area, please call our office at 541-322-6386 to arrange a curbside pickup. 

Thanks ahead of time from Bend Firefighters Association, Bend Fire & Rescue, Cascade Disposal and The Salvation Army for helping families in need this holiday season. If you need help for this holiday season with food or presents, please call The Salvation Army at 541-389-8888.

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A fire broke out, in a newly constructed apartment, on the South West side of Bend on November 24th at 17:15.  Bend Fire & Rescue responded to an apartment, kitchen fire, on the 6th floor of a newly constructed building.  A new resident was in the process of moving into the apartment and had placed combustible materials on a glass stove top and accidentally turned a burning on in the process.  Resident left briefly to move more belongings up to the newly acquired room and while returning heard the fire alarm system activate.   Once back to the room, the kitchen stove area was found fully involved in flames.  Resident immediately called 911 and deployed a closely located fire extinguisher, in the hallway, to extinguish the fire.  Resident was able to control the fire from spreading to other areas of the apartment and was quick enough to not have the sprinkler system activate.  Bend Fire crews completely extinguished the fire and performed ventilation and overhaul to kitchen area.  Resident is expected to be displaced until restoration of room can be performed.  Estimated cost of damage is at approximately $5,000.  No injuries were reported at the scene of the fire.

Kitchen fires were the theme of this year's Fire Prevention message and one of the leading causes of home fires. Kitchen stoves of all types are a source of heat that can cause ignition of combustible materials.  It is never recommended to place combustible materials on a stove top, even if it is in the off position.  Unattended cooking or burner operation should never be left unattended, even for a short while.  By having a readily available fire extinguisher and working smoke alarms, lose caused by fire, can be greatly reduced in the event a fire does happen.      

credit bend fire

Bend Fire Department was originally dispatched for a fire alarm activation at the Stillwater Apartments on Atwood Dr in SE Bend. The alarm was quickly upgraded as multiple tenants started calling 911 about the alarms going off and smoke coming from one of the 1st floor apartments. Bend Fire responded to the apartment fire with 5 engines, ladder truck, ambulance, command and a fire marshal. Bend Police arrived first to find most of the building evacuated. Police and Fire crews were able to quickly determine no one was home at the time of the fire. The fire was stopped by the fire sprinkler system in the apartment. The sprinkler activation was the reason for the initial fire alarm reported. 

Bend Fire crews used fans to ventilate the smoke from the 1st floor apartment and adjacent stairwell. The other two stairwells were not affected and occupants were allowed back into those apartments as soon as possible. The sprinkler system stopped the fire with one head activating in the bedroom where the fire started. The water was shut down. With the apartment being unoccupied, the sprinkler head stopped a fire that would have easily spread to multiple other apartments and risked the lives of dozens of occupants. 

The fire was caused by the failure of an electric skate board being charged in a bedroom. The fire started in the batteries of the board. Its unclear at this time if this was a failure of the batteries, over charging of the unit or a malfunction/failure of the charger. The damage was limited to minor fire damage in a single bedroom and water damage to the ground floor apartment. No other units were damaged and after the smoke was cleared and the sprinkler system turned back on, all other tenants were allowed back into their apartments. A total 36 apartments are in this building, ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms. Several dozen building residents were home at the time of the fire. 

Bend Fire Department would like to remind anyone charging any scooters, bikes, skateboards or similar lithium powered devices to take precautions to prevent fires. Its always good to not leave these devices plugged into power when someone's not around. Charge the unit to full power and then remove from the charger. If the batteries or charger are damaged, get wet or appear to not be working correctly, stop using immediately and have them repaired or replaced. These same precautions can go for any lithium battery charging items such as tools, toys and cars. If the batteries are kept in good condition, you use the correct charger on the correct setting, and don't over charge the battery, the chances of a fire are very low. More information on battery fire safety at the US Fire Administration website: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/batteries/ 

Photo Courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

At 5:59 pm on November 10, 2023, Bend Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a reported structure fire at 60637 Devon Circle.  Initial reports were of a fire in the kitchen that was spreading.  Upon arrival, fire crews found that a neighbor had knocked down a majority of the fire with a dry chemical fire extinguisher.  The rest of the fire was quickly extinguished, with fire damage limited to the kitchen range and cabinets but smoke damage throughout the residence. Damage is estimated at $20,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the contents.  The residents of the home, four adults, three children, and a dog, were assisted by Red Cross.

Upon investigation, the cause of the fire was determined to be cooking oil spilled on a hot stove burner, which then ignited.  The fire then spread to nearby combustibles and the kitchen cabinets.  

According to the US Fire Administration, cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Always watch what you are cooking, never leave cooking unattended, and keep handles on pans turned toward the back of the stove.  For more cooking safety tips, visit our website at https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-rescue/safety-tips-emergency-preparedness/year-round-safety-tips.

Bend fire and rescue crews are on the scene of a natural gas leak in NE Bend. A contractor for Pacific Power struck a 2-inch gas main while conducting drilling operations. Crews from Cascade natural gas are conducting repairs. ODOT and Bend PD are managing traffic on Greenwood between 8th and 15th street. Expect delays and avoid the area if possible. Gas service interruptions may occur in the immediate area. Contact CNG as needed for assistance in restoring any gas heaters or appliances. Repairs and traffic controls are expected to last up to 3 hours.