La Pine man dies in overnight fire that destroys his home and prompts evacuations; officials find no signs of foul play

Dog also perished in a fire that triggered explosions; local residents evacuated as a precaution

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A La Pine man died in a massive overnight fire that destroyed his home and spread to nearby vehicles and structures, causing explosions and the evacuation of neighbors as Firefighters from five agencies were battling the blaze. A dog also died in the fire, and investigators said the cause of the fire “was not criminal in nature.”

Crews from the La Pine Rural Fire District were dispatched shortly after midnight to the reported structure fire in the 15000 block of Old Mill Road, with sheriff's deputies dispatched to assist, Sgt. » said Kyle Kalmbach in a joint statement from the two agencies.

Initial reports indicated that the house was engulfed in flames that spread to neighboring structures on the property and that residents in the area were hearing explosions. Deputies evacuated the nearest neighbors as a precaution, Kalmbach said.

A nearby resident, about a block away, contacted NewsChannel 21 early Saturday to say she was hearing “big booms, explosions, sounds like munitions going off.”

The first engine crew on scene deployed exposure hazard lines, stopping the spread of the fire, officials said. About a dozen fire apparatus responded to the scene, along with 22 firefighters from La Pine, Sunriver, Bend, Crescent and Alfalfa. Crews were on site throughout the night battling the fire.

Midstate Electric Cooperative crews secured utilities, allowing for aggressive firefighting efforts and a search of nearby RVs and motor vehicles, the sergeant said.

Fire damage was limited to structures on the property, with minor damage to nearby structures and fences, Kalmbach said.

Around 10 a.m. Saturday, resident David Hill, 67, was found dead in the home, along with a dog, the sergeant said.

La Pine firefighters continued to work at the scene Saturday while the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office and sheriff's detectives conducted their investigation.

“Based on the evidence discovered during the investigation, it was determined that the cause of the fire was not criminal in nature,” Kalmbach said.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and La Pine Fire Department said they would like to thank the following departments for their assistance: Sunriver Fire Department, Bend Fire Department, Crescent Fire, Alfalfa Fire Department and Mid-State Electric.