The 2019 4th of July was a tame one by recent standards. No one lit Pilot Butte on fire, no brush fires were reported and, according to the Bend Fire Department, calls were down in comparison to years past. However, even with the somewhat calm year, two homes sustained damage as the result of the […]
Dave Howe
Posted inNews
Fireworks Dos and Don’ts
Last year, a man lit Pilot Butte on fire. This year, city leaders are coming out en masse to prevent illegal fireworks and respond to complaints
Fireworks are part of the American DNA. They’re how we celebrate Independence Day, New Year’s Eve and other milestones. Used responsibly, they can garner oohs and awes from people sitting in lawn chairs watching the colors explode overhead and listening to the sonic booms. However, if used irresponsibly, fireworks can cause property damage and even […]
Posted inNews
Torched Towns: Could Bend be Next?
Bend Ranks No. 8 in Pacific Northwest wildfire risk, study says
While the most destructive wildfire in California’s history rages on, the U.S. Forest Service and Pyrologix—a Montana-based wildfire analysis firm—have identified the 100 communities in the Pacific Northwest with the highest cumulative risk of wildfire. Bend ranks number 8. “The high ranking mentioned above confirms all the work that we have been doing since the […]
Posted inOpinion
You Are Not Helpless
How to protect your property from wildfire
In the past 30 years, Bend has had several large wildland fires which either threatened or destroyed multiple homes. The 1990 Awbrey Hall Fire razed 22 houses and damaged several others, while the 1996 Skeleton Fire consumed 30 structures. Although one can imagine a massive wall of fire raging through a subdivision, the reality is […]
Posted inNews
Bend Fire Department is Faster Than Ever
New triage system improves response times and cuts costs
When people think of the fire department, they think of local heroes, a big red truck, and more likely than not, a firemen’s pole. It’s almost certain that finance and budgeting don’t enter into the picture. The reality is that in order for response times, proper medical care, general public assistance and safety to fall […]