Fire destroys barn and vehicles near Sisters

A Sunday night fire just north of Sisters completely destroyed a large storage building and four vehicles stored inside, causing a major loss estimated initially at $700,000. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire was located on the property of Howard Guinn, 15773 Trapper Point Road just off Camp Polk Road. Guinn stated that most of the loss is covered by insurance.

First reports of the fire came at 9:45 p.m. when several Trapper Point Road neighbors called 911. Some 23 firefighters, three engines, three tenders, an ambulance and two other vehicles were dispatched to the fire.

“When the first engine left the Sisters station, firefighters could see the glow of the fire,” said Dave Wheeler, fire marshal for the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District.

Four vehicles and other personal property were destroyed. The vehicles included a year-old, 40-foot motor home, a Jeep Wrangler, and an older pickup that had been in storage for some time, all owned by Guinn. A classic Ford Model A coupe owned by a neighbor and stored in the building also was destroyed.

“The fire was burning very hot when crews first arrived and had spread to two large trees,” Wheeler said. “Because of the fuels reduction work that the owner had done on the property, the fire did not pose a serious threat to spread to other buildings, although it would have been a dangerous fire had it burned in July or August.”

Four large trees were damaged and the fire burned for a short distance on the lawn surrounding the structure.

Investigation into the cause of the fire got underway Monday morning. Because of the size of the fire and the damage experienced, Dave Fields from the Bend office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal and Al Cowan from the Oregon State Police in Bend were conducting the investigation.

Cables attached to fire engines moved some of the large metal pieces as the investigation slowly worked its way into the debris.