BEND, OR -- An alert neighbor is credited with spotting a fire inside a Deschutes River Woods home, Wednesday morning. Initially he thought it was steam, but quickly realized it was smoke. Firefighters responded to Minnetonka Lane just after 8:30 a.m. and found the blaze inside a clothes dryer. They were able to keep it from spreading.

Bend Fire says the incident was caused by a packrat or other rodent’s nest inside the dryer itself – the vent was not involved. Investigators say dog food brought into the nest by the rodent was close to the heating element and caught fire when the appliance was turned on.

Damage was limited to the dryer, along with a small amount of smoke and water.