Vehicle Fire At Auto Wrecking Yard North Of Bend 6/3/26 (Photo)
- 06/03/26
At 9:43 a.m. Wednesday morning Bend Fire & Rescue responded to a reported fire at B&R Auto Wrecking on Hwy 97 just north of Bend. Multiple 911 calls came in about a vehicle on fire at the wrecking yard next to the main building. Employees on the scene were able to move two burning cars away from the building to prevent it from catching fire. Responders arrived to find the two vehicles on fire with flames spreading to a nearby tire pile and into the grass along the southernmost property line bordering Four Seasons Mobile Home Park. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies and first arriving firefighters were able to stop the grass fire from spreading, and the next arriving engines knocked the fire down within 10 minutes. An employee was treated on scene for a minor injury. Two vehicles bound for crushing and a pile of tires were the only losses.
The cause of the fire was accidental. The fire was caused when staff were dismantling a vehicle before crushing. As the gas tank was being drained for disposal of the fuel, a spark from an electric tool ignited the fumes and started the vehicle and adjacent material on fire. The fire spread to a pile of approximately 50 tires. Those tires burning caused the large plume of black smoke visible from the north end of Bend.
B&R Auto Wrecking follows State law for auto wrecking facilities that limit storage of materials and goods near dismantling processes and buildings. These rules came into effect after major auto wrecking fires in the Portland area caused significant fire and environmental damage in the past decade. B&R’s compliance with these rules and annual inspections with Bend Fire & Rescue prevented the piles of tires and combustibles from being too large to contain when firefighters arrived. The separation meant tanks of old oil, coolant, and gasoline were far enough away from the fire to prevent them from becoming involved and adding to the incident.
Vehicle Fire At Auto Wrecking Yard North Of Bend 6/3/26 (Photo)
- 06/03/26
At 9:43 a.m. Wednesday morning Bend Fire & Rescue responded to a reported fire at B&R Auto Wrecking on Hwy 97 just north of Bend. Multiple 911 calls came in about a vehicle on fire at the wrecking yard next to the main building. Employees on the scene were able to move two burning cars away from the building to prevent it from catching fire. Responders arrived to find the two vehicles on fire with flames spreading to a nearby tire pile and into the grass along the southernmost property line bordering Four Seasons Mobile Home Park. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies and first arriving firefighters were able to stop the grass fire from spreading, and the next arriving engines knocked the fire down within 10 minutes. An employee was treated on scene for a minor injury. Two vehicles bound for crushing and a pile of tires were the only losses.
The cause of the fire was accidental. The fire was caused when staff were dismantling a vehicle before crushing. As the gas tank was being drained for disposal of the fuel, a spark from an electric tool ignited the fumes and started the vehicle and adjacent material on fire. The fire spread to a pile of approximately 50 tires. Those tires burning caused the large plume of black smoke visible from the north end of Bend.
B&R Auto Wrecking follows State law for auto wrecking facilities that limit storage of materials and goods near dismantling processes and buildings. These rules came into effect after major auto wrecking fires in the Portland area caused significant fire and environmental damage in the past decade. B&R’s compliance with these rules and annual inspections with Bend Fire & Rescue prevented the piles of tires and combustibles from being too large to contain when firefighters arrived. The separation meant tanks of old oil, coolant, and gasoline were far enough away from the fire to prevent them from becoming involved and adding to the incident.