BEND, Ore. — A vehicle fire at an auto wrecking yard north of Bend on Wednesday morning produced a large plume of black smoke visible across the city but was quickly contained before it could spread to nearby structures or hazardous materials.
At approximately 9:43 a.m. on June 3, Bend Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a fire at B&R Auto Wrecking along U.S. Highway 97, just north of Bend. Multiple 911 callers reported a vehicle on fire near the business’s main building.
Before firefighters arrived, employees at the facility acted quickly to move two burning vehicles away from the building, preventing the flames from spreading to the structure.
When crews reached the scene, they found both vehicles fully involved in fire, with flames extending into a nearby pile of tires and igniting grass along the southern edge of the property near Four Seasons Mobile Home Park.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the first arriving firefighters were able to halt the grass fire’s advance, while additional fire crews extinguished the main fire within about 10 minutes.
One employee suffered a minor injury and was treated at the scene. The only property losses were two vehicles awaiting crushing and a pile of tires.
According to Bend Fire & Rescue, the fire was accidental. Investigators determined the blaze started while employees were dismantling a vehicle before it was to be crushed. As workers drained fuel from the vehicle’s gas tank for disposal, a spark from an electric tool ignited gasoline vapors, setting the vehicle and nearby materials on fire.
The flames quickly spread to a pile of approximately 50 tires, generating the thick black smoke seen from the north end of Bend.
Fire officials credited B&R Auto Wrecking’s compliance with state regulations and ongoing fire inspections for limiting the fire’s impact. Oregon laws governing auto wrecking facilities require combustible materials to be stored away from dismantling operations and buildings, regulations that were strengthened following several major auto wrecking yard fires in the Portland area over the past decade.
Because the facility followed those requirements, firefighters said tire piles and other combustible materials were kept small enough to be effectively contained. The separation also prevented tanks containing used oil, coolant and gasoline from becoming involved in the fire, reducing the risk of a larger incident and potential environmental damage.
No evacuations were reported, and the fire was brought under control without further injuries.
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