Bend, OR. – Official Release: Bend Fire & Rescue was dispatched for a reported fire in Web Cyclery at 157 NW Franklin Ave this morning. The bike shop is located in the historic Old Stone Church in downtown Bend, originally built in 1912. Staff at the store reported a fire in a light fixture in the attic of the building. They attempted a fire extinguisher, stopping the flames that were first noticed in a ceiling light fixture. But the fire had spread to nearby stored goods by then. All employees and customers evacuated safely before fire crews arrived. Crews found the attic space full of smoke when they arrived and stretched hoses into the building to extinguish the fire. Bend Fire’s ladder truck set up and opened holes in the roof to allow smoke out of the attic to aid in extinguishing the fire. The fire was extinguished in approximately 30 minutes.
Bend Fire & Rescue investigators determined the fire to have started when a fluorescent light fixture in the attic storage room failed. The light caught fire, and the flames then spread to adjacent boxes and stored goods in the space. The quick actions of the staff by using an extinguisher while calling 911 at the same time prevented this fire from getting any worse. Damage to the building is estimated to be about $25,000. The damage to the contents of the retail space is considered extensive due to the smoke from the fire. Several dozen high end mountain bikes were destroyed in the attic space due to catching fire.
But there is a potential for all clothing and soft goods in the entire building to be considered a loss if they can’t be cleaned of the smoke. This damage could range from $100,000 to $500,000 depending on the extent of damage to the retail items and whether they can be restored for retail use again or not. The business is fully insured and the insurance company had been contacted by the time Bend Fire left the scene.
Bend Fire & Rescue commends the actions of the staff of Web Cyclery for their quick actions in preventing this fire from getting any worse. They investigated the smell as soon as it was known. They used an extinguisher for what was a small fire to start off with. But most importantly, they started evacuating the building and calling 911 at the same time another employee was using the extinguisher. These actions ensured everyone was out safe and the fire department was on its way in the event the extinguisher wasn’t enough, as it turned out to be. Bend Fire reminds anyone that uses a fire extinguisher on a fire to call 911 at the same time. If the extinguisher puts the fire out completely, the fire department can ensure the fire didn’t spread and help with the initial clean up. If the extinguisher doesn’t put the fire out completely, we are on the way sooner than later to extinguish the fire completely.
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