Child alerts family during early morning Starwood Fire in Bend
KTVZ – News Team
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A garage fire early Friday caused significant damage to a home in the Starwood subdivision off Tumalo Road, according to Bend Fire and Rescue. The cause is linked to an electrical fault called a “floating neutral”, and the smoke alarms did not go off. No one was injured after a child alerted a parent to smoke.
Below is the press release, in part, provided by Bend Fire & Rescue:
At 5:06 am on Friday, January 23, 2026, a 911 caller reported his home and garage full of smoke and a fire near the electrical panel in the garage.
…First arriving units found a fire in the corner of the garage with some extension into the attic space above the garage.
…The interior of the residence sustained minor smoke and water damage, but is otherwise intact. The home is uninhabitable at this time due to lack of power. The water to the home was also shut off in order to prevent freezing and bursting of pipes. The residents declined Red Cross assistance.
Upon investigation, the cause of the fire was found to be an electrical fault in the wiring of the home adjacent to the grounding rod. This condition, called a floating neutral, can cause large imbalances in voltage within the wiring, leading to breakers tripping and the potential for a fire. This is a situation that requires the urgent attention of a licensed electrician to correct.
Bend Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community that working smoke alarms save lives. In this case, the smoke alarms in the home did not sound, despite there being smoke in the house. A young child in the home woke up and awakened a parent, who smelled the smoke and acted.
The smoke alarms in the home were found to be older, in excess of 10 years old. Smoke alarms have a life span of 10 years, the sensors degrade over time and become unreliable. Even if an older alarm still chirps or beeps, there is no guarantee that it will activate in the event of a fire. Smoke alarms (and carbon monoxide alarms) over 10 years of age need to be replaced. For more information on home fire safety and smoke alarms, visit https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-rescue/community-programs/smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarms