Bend detached garage fire quickly spreads to home, duplex; 9 residents, 3 dogs confirmed safe

(Update: Clarifying; home also burned; response time about 6 minutes)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A detached garage fire quickly spread to a home and duplex in southeast Bend late Tuesday morning, sending up a tall, black smoke plume and bringing numerous fire crews and police to the scene as residents were evacuated and neighbors heard the crackling sounds of exploding ammunition and other items.

The fire was reported around 11:35 a.m. in the 600 block of Southeast Woodland Boulevard. The first Bend Fire & Rescue crews arrived within about six minutes to find the detached garage fully ablaze and spreading to a home and duplex on Centennial Boulevard, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

Derlacki said the fire began in the detached garage, which was destroyed, and spread to the attic spaces of the associated house and adjacent duplex, heavily damaging both structures.

The fire also extended into nearby trees, sent flames 60 to 75 feet in the air and had a dark smoke column towering over the scene. Bend police helped evacuate all occupants who were home.

The first engine crew used their 1,000 gallon-per-minute "master stream" of water atop the engine to halt the forward spread of the wind-driven fire, Derlacki said.

Crews then moved to hoses and fully extinguished the fire after several more hours of work. Several spot fires were extinguished on the east side of the railroad tracks, behind the businesses along SE Logsden Street. BNSF stopped rail traffic for about an hour during the fire to prevent damage to trains and keep crews safe.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, with one of the home's residents working on a motorcycle in the garage when it started.

Fire Inspector Jason Kamperman said, "The fuel spilled in an enclosed, detached shop, vapors accumulated, got to the explosive limit, and the vapors ignited with the space heater."

Derlacki added, "He attempted to use a fire extinguisher (to put out the fire) and that didn't work, he got out and called 911. But even with a quick response, right in the center of town, this was still well-involved by the time we showed up, spreading into the trees and those other houses."

Sunriver and Alfalfa fire crews also assisted Bend firefighters, while Redmond and Sisters fire crews helped cover calls in the district until Bend firefighters cleared the scene.

The many reports of explosions were attributed to propane tanks, ammunition, motorcycle tires and paint in the garage, Derlacki said later, adding, "It is very typical of garage fires to hear these types of pops and bangs from all the items commonly stored in garages."

After the flames were knocked down, crews remained on scene for salvage and overhaul work.

The fire loss is estimated at $350,000 between the two structures.

According to Bend Fire and Rescue, the fire could have been avoided by not working on the motorcycle indoors. They want to warn you to be aware of what you're doing, or what's sitting near a space heater, to avoid future potential disasters.

"If you're working on any kind of explosive fuels, do that outside and not in enclosed areas, especially around space heaters. Having a garage door open, or being outside could have been the best practice," Jason Kamperman suggested.

The American Red Cross was called in to provide temporary shelter to the occupants whose house burned, as well as handing out food and water to the residents and firefighters affected.

Derlacki explained, "We'll get Red Cross here to help those occupants, give them a place to stay for a few nights until they can find a more permanent space. Unfortunately, this house is not going to be tenable any time soon."

A neighbor told NewsChannel 21 the fire early on "sounded like firecrackers" and that their neighbors had several animals, including three small dogs and chickens. Animal control officers and police had located the three dogs, but it's unclear if all the chickens survived.

Derlacki concluded his news release: "Bend Fire Department reminds everyone to ensure combustibles are kept a safe distance from ignition sources. In this case, it was gas vapor and a propane-fired heater in the garage. By ensuring the space was well ventilated or by using an electrical heater, the fire could’ve been prevented. The occupants did do the right thing by having a fire extinguisher handy during the repairs, using it and getting out before their safety was jeopardized. Even though it didn’t stop the fire this time, in many cases a small fire can be stopped by the quick action of a fire extinguisher. "

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