Two Fires Within Two Hours Highlight Extreme Fire Danger In Bend (Photo) - 06/22/26
Shortly after 8 a.m. Monday, Bend Fire & Rescue crews responded to a reported structure fire west of Bend on Highway 20 near Dayton and Tweed roads. Firefighters arrived to find a shop fully engulfed in flames and spreading into nearby brush. With no nearby water supply, crews conducted a defensive attack, protecting nearby structures and equipment while working to stop the fire’s spread in the brush. The fire was knocked down within 40 minutes.
The shop is a total loss, with an estimated $100,000 in structural damage and $50,000 in contents lost. The cause remains under investigation.
Mutual aid partners from Redmond Fire, Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District, Alfalfa Fire and the U.S. Forest Service responded, providing water and additional resources. Bend Fire & Rescue also credited the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Patrol for traffic control and support.
Bend Fire commends the property owner’s creation of defensible space and vegetation management, which helped slow the fire and allowed crews to contain it before it spread beyond the property toward Gerking Market Road and Highway 20. Creating defensible space can prevent wildfire from taking your home and property. Learn how to prepare your home ahead of a fire today at bendoregon.gov/own-your-zone.
This incident occurred within Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District #2. The District serves residents and properties located outside the City of Bend and contracts with Bend Fire & Rescue to provide fire suppression, emergency medical response, rescue services, fire prevention, and community risk reduction programs. Residents can learn more about their fire district at dcrfpd2.com.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., while crews were still on scene of the shop fire, firefighters were dispatched to a second call for a brush fire near Southwest Yates Road and Southwest Century Drive in Bend.
Crews arrived to find a large area of brush burning, with bystanders attempting to contain the fire using extinguishers. Bend Fire quickly stopped the fire before it threatened any structures, with mutual aid assistance from the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center.
The brush fire was determined to have started from lawn edging equipment that caused a spark and ignited the grass. Bend Fire reminds the community that during extreme fire danger, operating equipment can easily spark wildfires. Be careful with your equipment and double check your working space, if possible, avoid anything that can create sparks right now.
