Bend Fire Responds to Brush Fire Caused by a Cigarette

Bend Fire responded to a reported brush fire this morning. Upon arrival the crews fond a large pine tree on fire, as well as the dry grass and needles present in the yard. They extinguished the fire and ensured that there was no extension to the house or to the neighbors’ yards. The cause was found to be improper disposal of a cigarette. Because of the current dry conditions in Bend, all types of fuels are very receptive to ignition from the smallest source, so please be careful. A cigarette ember, a spark from a lawnmower blade hitting a rock, sparks from a grinder: all these can start a fire very quickly under these conditions, and any fire start can easily escape control. A single spark can ruin an otherwise good day in these weather conditions. In the past month, we have responded to 16 fires started by the improper disposal of smoking materials, which equates to a fire every other day. Since the beginning of 2017, we have responded to 44 such incidents. Some of them are very costly fires, and all hostile fires have the potential to be devastating. A fire almost always results in a very bad day for someone.