A garage fire in Bend Tuesday may have been started due to an effort to beat the heat, Bend Fire and Rescue said.
Firefighters arrived at the home on NE Seward Avenue, just south of Hollinshead Park, around 4:20 p.m. The fire started in the garage and had moved to the attic.
Bend Fire said the owners smelled smoke after noticing their breaker had tripped. The garage was full of smoke and they called 911.
Firefighters quickly put out the fire and ventilated the home to reduce damage inside.
Bend Fire said the owners have a camper next to the house. They were using the air conditioner in the camper to keep cool since they don’t have A/C in the house.
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When they went to the camper Tuesday, they found the power was off and the A/C was not working, Bend Fire said. They determined the breaker tripped.
Bend Fire said it was determined that a cord that was running from the camper to the garage had failed, causing the fire. It’s believed the cord was either too small of gauge to handle the power needed to run the camper, or that the cord may have been damaged beforehand.
Firefighters remind residents to be sure that extension cords are not damaged when using them and to be sure of the size and amperage limits of the cord match what is needed to run the devices they are plugged into. Also, be sure to use just one cord between the appliance and the outlet.
The American Red Cross helped with finding the residents a place to stay for a few nights.
Bend Fire Department volunteers also responded to make sure firefighters were kept cool while fighting the fire in 100-degree heat.
