Bend Fire Department was originally dispatched for a fire alarm activation at the Stillwater Apartments on Atwood Dr in SE Bend. The alarm was quickly upgraded as multiple tenants started calling 911 about the alarms going off and smoke coming from one of the 1st floor apartments. Bend Fire responded to the apartment fire with 5 engines, ladder truck, ambulance, command and a fire marshal. Bend Police arrived first to find most of the building evacuated. Police and Fire crews were able to quickly determine no one was home at the time of the fire. The fire was stopped by the fire sprinkler system in the apartment. The sprinkler activation was the reason for the initial fire alarm reported.
Bend Fire crews used fans to ventilate the smoke from the 1st floor apartment and adjacent stairwell. The other two stairwells were not affected and occupants were allowed back into those apartments as soon as possible. The sprinkler system stopped the fire with one head activating in the bedroom where the fire started. The water was shut down. With the apartment being unoccupied, the sprinkler head stopped a fire that would have easily spread to multiple other apartments and risked the lives of dozens of occupants.
The fire was caused by the failure of an electric skate board being charged in a bedroom. The fire started in the batteries of the board. Its unclear at this time if this was a failure of the batteries, over charging of the unit or a malfunction/failure of the charger. The damage was limited to minor fire damage in a single bedroom and water damage to the ground floor apartment. No other units were damaged and after the smoke was cleared and the sprinkler system turned back on, all other tenants were allowed back into their apartments. A total 36 apartments are in this building, ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms. Several dozen building residents were home at the time of the fire.
Bend Fire Department would like to remind anyone charging any scooters, bikes, skateboards or similar lithium powered devices to take precautions to prevent fires. Its always good to not leave these devices plugged into power when someone’s not around. Charge the unit to full power and then remove from the charger. If the batteries or charger are damaged, get wet or appear to not be working correctly, stop using immediately and have them repaired or replaced. These same precautions can go for any lithium battery charging items such as tools, toys and cars. If the batteries are kept in good condition, you use the correct charger on the correct setting, and don’t over charge the battery, the chances of a fire are very low. More information on battery fire safety at the US Fire Administration website: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/
