About 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, Bend Fire & Rescue responded to several reports of an explosion near the entrance of the Deschutes County Knott Landfill at 27th Avenue and Knott Road in Bend.

Firefighters arrived within minutes to find two front loaders fully involved, with fire spreading to a third and into nearby mulch piles in the recycling area. Crews quickly extinguished the heavy machinery and then battled the burning mulch for about an hour before bringing the fire under control. Deschutes County Solid Waste staff helped turn over the piles of mulch so firefighters could douse them with water to ensure full extinguishment. The front loaders and mulch piles were owned by Republic Services, who also had staff on site to assist responders. 

The landfill was closed during the incident, and no injuries were reported. Losses are estimated at $150,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.