Home near Sisters consumed by flames

Plans for a housewarming party scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday went up in flames Saturday night as fire engulfed a brand new home at 70197 Sorrel in Squaw Creek Canyon Estates.

Returning from a dinner party with friends around 11:30 p.m., Ralph and Linda Hamond pulled into their driveway to find the interior of their house an inferno of flames.

After calling 911 they raced to the garage, which was not yet involved, saving their dog Laguna. They could not find their black cat Sammy.

Finding themselves quickly surrounded by arriving fire crews and sympathetic friends, the realities of the total devastation began to sink in.

Captain Steve Ward, the first arriving firefighter from the Squaw Creek Canyon Fire Station only half a block away, found the house fully involved and initiated attack on the garage, managing to minimize damage to some of the contents there.

Fire crews fought a defensive fight to protect the surrounding forest and a large propane tank adjoining the house. Loud gunshot-like reports echoed through the night as the stucco popped off the walls and a smaller propane tank with a barbecue on the deck melted down in a spectacular display of flaming jets.

Hampered by the lack of hydrants in the subdivision, Sisters-Camp Sherman fire crews were forced to call for mutual aid tankers from both the Bend and Cloverdale fire departments to augment their water supplies for exposure protection and fire suppression.

While the water supply issues did not directly contribute to the loss of this house - the fire had made too much headway by the time it was discovered - it could have contributed to a rapid spread to the forest if it had not been for the unique AAC walls of the house. The fireproof autoclave aerated concrete blocks used on this house were designed to protect the structure from a wildfire. In a strange twist of fate, the reverse happened and they protected the wildlands from the raging house fire with all walls remaining totally intact surrounding a roofless gutted interior.

After only having been in their home for six weeks after a long two-year building process, the Hamonds were a bit stunned.

"We have no idea what may have caused this," said Ralph.

Fire Marshall Dave Wheeler's initial investigation has found no clear cause as of press time but the investigation is continuing.

Linda said, "We are so grateful to all of our friends that keep appearing to help. Someone is off to Costco shopping for clothes for us already. Another friend had to lend me a pair of tennis shoes."

The Red Cross appeared at 2:30 a.m. to help find them rooms, providing emergency funds and even gifted them a very welcome handmade quilt to warm their hearts.

The greatest gift came from a friend walking up to Linda the next morning with missing cat Sammy in arms.