A homeowner thawing pipes with a heat gun triggered a fire that destroyed their home near Tumalo Sunday afternoon.
Bend Fire and Rescue got the call just after noon and responded to the 65000 block of 85th Street within nine minutes, but had a difficult time extinguishing the fire that had traveled throughout the single wide manufactured home.
Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said the homeowner was using a heat gun to thaw frozen pipes. The metal pipes conducted heat igniting combustibles inside the home.
Firefighters stopped the flames within 30 minutes, but complete extinguishment took a bit longs due to the amount of combustible material.
The fire killed one cat, and two others are missing.
The Red Cross was called in to assist the three residents of the home. The family did not have insurance.
Bend Fire and Rescue recommends buildings have adequate insulation to keep pipes from freezing. If your pipes do freeze, gentle heat is best and never use an open flame to thaw pipes. If you do use a heat source like a hair dryer or space heater make sure it is suitable for indoor use and kept away from combustible material.
You can find more cold weather safety tips here.
