Bend Fire Department responded to a report of a building on fire in downtown Bend early Sunday morning. Bend Police officers reported a fire at 221 NW Lafayette Ave at 03:30am. Fire crews arrived to find the fire in the attic of the nearly 90-year structure. The flames were fanned by 30+ mph winds but crews were able to stop the fire before spreading to a near by church.
The building is owned by Deschutes County. The house was originally built in 1935 and turned into law offices in the late 1990’s. The building is vacant currently. The damage is estimated at $100,000. The building was not equipped with fire sprinklers or alarms.
Fire investigators have determined the fire started on the exterior of the building and spread to the attic. The winds sped up the spread of the flames. The fire is human caused and the investigation is ongoing. The fire originated from an area where someone was hanging out, most likely out of the wind and cold, on the exterior of the building.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has jurisdiction for county owned buildings in downtown and continuing the investigation. If you have any information directly related to this incident, you are asked to contact Deschutes County Sheriff dispatch at 541-693-6911.