BEND, OR -- Bend Fire investigators have determined last Friday's fire in Juniper Ridge, north of Bend, was caused by a cooking fire in a houseless camp at a vacant property. The Mile Marker 132 Fire broke out just before 2:30 p.m. Friday. It ultimately charred 78 acres before it was contained. Investigators say the fire originated on a privately owned lot at 64010 N. Highway 97. There are no structures on the property other than wood and wire fencing. The camper responsible for the fire was not foud.
City and county leaders are getting an earful from homeowners near Juniper Ridge, whose properties were put at risk by the fire. They want more done to reduce the fire risk on vacant property owned by the city of Bend and Deschutes County. Brooke lives in the Northpointe neighborhood. "We had 20 minutes to pack and leave before we were at a Level 3 evacuation Go Now," She told County Commissioners this week, "The fire line is about 600 feet from our back fence. And the neighbor who was closest, from our neighborhood, the fire line was about 50-70 feet from his property line."
She says the fire risk in the area is year-round, "The fire danger in Juniper Ridge is very, very real. And I believe you are all aware of it. However, the county and the city have not taken appropriate action to protect all of the communities in Juniper Ridge." She sees two possible solutions, "That is to clear the dispersed campers or to create defensible space in Juniper Ridge."
Jim also lives nearby, and told Commissioners officials are placating campers instead of moving them, "We know what the problem is, but we're not addressing the problem. We're putting a band-aid on things. You have the Fire Department out there handing out fire extinguishers; really? To hand to the homeless, to give them fire extinguishers to put out the fire that's on the land, which they're out there just homesteading on and taking." Bend Fire and Rescue did not distribute fire extinguishers. But city officials confirm to KBND News the city distributed 40 fire extinguishers to people camping on city-owned property at Juniper Ridge on Friday, prior to the Mile Marker 132 fire. Deschutes County has taken similar steps on its portion of Juniper Ridge.
Commissioner Phil Chang told Jim moving campers won't fix the problem until there's a place for campers to relocate to, "Trying to eject people from unsanctioned camp locations when they have no place to go means they're going to end up on other unsanctioned locations." Jim asked, "Where would that be?" Chang responded, "It could be a hundred yards away." Commissioners have discussed possible locations for a sanctioned camp where people living on public lands near Bend could be relocated. So far, those talks have not resulted in an agreement.
