BEND, OR -- Emergency crews responded to a reported fire at the JJ Court Apartments on Butler Market Rd yesterday afternoon. It was the second fire that day, blamed on an improperly discarded cigarette.
According to Bend Fire investigators, a cigarette tossed onto bark mulch ignited the blaze at about 4 p.m., which spread to the building's exterior walls and eventually into the attic. Crews were able to hold the fire, limiting damage to two units. The Red cross assisted the 10 residents impacted by the blaze.
Yesterday morning, crews extinguished a blaze at an apartment near NW 5th and Portland. Investigators say a cigarette placed in a plastic container ignited other combustibles and spread to the deck and siding. No injuries were reported in either fire. On average, bend Fire responds to 40 cigarette-related fires each year.
