SISTERS, OR -- It was a busy weekend for local fire crews. A brush fire east of Sisters destroyed two homes and several other buildings, forcing evacuations and the closure of Highway 20. The Cloverdale Fire broke out Saturday afternoon. By Sunday, crews were mopping up, and most area residents were allowed to return home. The blaze was mapped at about 75 acres and firefighters continue to patrol for hotspots. 

A few hours before the Cloverdale fire was spotted, a La Pine fire destroyed a vacant home and led to a one-acre brush fire (right). It also prompted the closure of Burgess Road, west of Highway 97, for several hours. 

 

And on Sunday, a fire in Bend caused significant damage to a home on Northeast Brightwater Drive (below). Neighbors called 911 just before 5 p.m. and arriving firefighters found an active fire spreading to the attic. No one was home at the time, and the cause is under investigation.

 

Firefighters also responded to a new start nine miles east of Clarno and the John Day River. The Porcupine II fire is about 25% contained, at a little more than 500 acres; investigators believe it was human caused. 

 

UPDATE (08/14/15): Fire investigators have determined the blaze on Brightwater Drive, in Bend, started in a child's bedroom. They believe a lithium-ion battery pack was plugged in to charge, and likely overheated. The investigation is ongoing, as they work to determine whether the product had been tested in a lab and listed to meet specific nationally recognized safety standards.