Radiator causes fire at Bend sewer facility

A fire at a Bend facility caused $20,000 in damage but caused no disruption on Sunday. Bend police arrived first to find a fire outside the building, identified as the West Bend Sewer Lift Station. Firefighters arrived around 6:40 a.m. and managed to limit the spread of fire in the building as much as possible.

Bend Utility Department has been contacted and representatives have responded. This building pumps waste collected from much of the west side of Bend to the processing plant on McGrath Rd. By keeping the fire mostly confined outside, the building’s operations were kept intact. A loss of this station could have resulted in a loss of sewer capacity for much of the city and a possible spill into the river. Crews are working at the facility today to ensure the fire is cleared and the building is safe.

According to Bend Fire, it appears the fire was caused by a propane heater associated with an outdoor seating area set up by unidentified individuals at the rear of the building. Bend PD is working to identify those associated with this configuration. The heater appears to have taken combustible materials from the burning camp and spread to the building. Fortunately, the walls of the building are made of concrete and therefore limited the spread of the fire at first. By the time the fire was noticed and crews arrived on the scene, the fire had spread to the timber frame of the roof structure. At this time, the fire appears to have damaged only the building and all operations inside were spared. Damage is estimated at $20,000.