SISTERS, OR -- Two weekend fires damaged Sisters-area homes. Crews responded to a duplex on Cedar Street, Saturday afternoon, and found a smoldering fire in an exterior wall. They used a chainsaw to get to the blaze and put it out before it could spread. Officials say a fire wall stopped the blaze, and bystanders alerted residents so they could evacuate prior to the arrival of firefighters. Investigators determined improperly stored ashes on a wood deck were to blame for the fire, which caused about $2500 in damage.

Early Sunday morning, a renter in the Tollgate area smelled smoke and noticed the roof was glowing inside the home. The residents evacuated and called 911. Responding units discovered a chimney fire at the Lariat home (pictured), which had spread to the roof surrounding the chimney. Crews quickly knocked down the blaze and stayed on-scene to extinguish the fire smoldering in the rafters. The cause of that fire is under investigation, but it likely related to the woodstove. According to Capt. Ast, "The renters had only been living in the house for a couple months, but their landlord advised the chimney had just been cleaned prior to moving in." That fire resulted in about $26,000 in damage.