Bend Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire on West Hwy 20 at Dayton Rd. Passerby’s saw flames coming form a building on the property and called 911. Crews arrived and found occupants attempting to extinguish the fire with garden hoses.
The fire was quickly suppressed and kept from spreading to other near by structures and trailers. It was determined that a heat lamp for the families tortoise had come loose and fell into the wood shavings below. The fire spread from the wood shavings to the building itself. Unfortunately the nearly 50 year old family pet was lost in the fire. This was the 2nd heat lamp fire of the night for Bend Fire Department with an earlier fire on Tumalo Reservoir Rd claiming the life of a chicken when the coop caught fire.
Both were caused by metal clamp style heat lamps falling into combustible used for warmth for the animals. A common issue with the metal clamp style heat lamps is that when they heat up the metal expands and actually loosens the clamp. The clamp then can slip off its mount and fall. These clamps can also be knocked off the mounts by animals knocking them. Simply securing the lamp with a screw or zip tie to the mount can prevent these from falling into the combustible below.
