Emergency personnel have responded to at least 15 fires in and around homeless encampments in the Bend area since Jan. 1.

And since Thursday, two separate fires torched a motorhome and travel trailer in the Juniper Ridge area, a 1,500-acre area of publicly owned land on the northeast outskirts of Bend, where many people experiencing homelessness live in tents and trailers.

The trend drew concern from the Deschutes County Commission Monday. Commissioners told The Bulletin that the fires highlight the dangers of life in unauthorized, unmanaged camps and the need to move people out of homelessness.

“We’ve got to start taking some actions,” said Commissioner Tony DeBone, who added: “There’s a lot of people trying to help, but it’s getting kind of silly that we’re seeing so many fires at this point.”

Bend Fire & Rescue, which tracks fires among the region’s houseless population, reports three of the fires since Jan. 1 have involved travel trailers and motorhomes. One fire involved a car that a person was living in. The rest were caused by burning debris or people trying to heat and cook.

More Coverage

Added shelter beds around Central Oregon vital to homeless community during cold

The fires have occurred in Juniper Ridge, along the Bend parkway, within the city and in the China Hat Road homeless encampment. One person has been injured but no one has died, said Cindy Kettering, Deputy Fire Marshal with Bend Fire & Rescue.

“It’s absolutely a big concern,” said Kettering.

Many of the fires have involved people trying to find ways to heat their tents and trailers and cook their food amid frigid winter conditions, authorities say. Often, houseless people use improvised or risky heating systems .

Sometimes, they install wood stoves in trailers they aren’t designed for, and too near flammable materials like dishes or food packaging, authorities say. Others use propane heaters in enclosed spaces, where the risk is fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

In response, Kettering said authorities have worked with REACH, a local nonprofit organization that supports people experiencing homelessness, to bring smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to houseless people that help monitor the dangerous, odorless fumes.

“We want to make sure people are safe in their homes, no matter what that home might look like,” said Kettering.

Commissioner Patti Adair said residents are concerned about the fires and that the county is working to find a space for managed camps. She added that county officials are working to have more affordable housing beds and safe parking programs available.

But of the fires, she said: “It’s a really frightening trend … It puts everybody on edge.”

Some have occurred in homeless encampments with meager infrastructure that are far from emergency services, making the people who live there even more vulnerable, said Commissioner Phil Chang.

In October, a 34-year-old woman died after she was severely burned in a fire on China Hat Road. During an investigation, authorities found a charred propane heater at the scene.

“The living conditions where people are living out in these unauthorized camps are unacceptable,” said Chang.

But Chang argued that the county needs to do more to create pathways out of homelessness by increasing the number of shelters, transitional housing facilities and wrap-around services that support people and hold them accountable as they progress toward a stable life.

“Ideally, you have somewhere more substantial for them to go, in a place that’s planned in a place with infrastructure and support,” said Chang.

Last week, commissioners approved $1.5 million for a managed homeless camp, but has yet to decide what the camp will look like, where it will be located and when it will open.

Chang — who opposed the funds because he wanted to allocate more money — said the camp’s specifics might not be decided on for months.

Unmanaged camping areas have been the subject of controversy in recent years as a growing number of people experiencing homelessness live in the areas in tents, trailers and makeshift shelters.

Fires have been among the major concerns. In 2020, 39 acres of Juniper Ridge burned in a wildfire that prompted evacuations and a response from multiple agencies and aircraft.

Kettering advises that heat-producing appliances should be given 3 feet of empty space. Residents should check to make sure the appliance they are using is suitable for indoors and ensure their carbon monoxide alarms work. She advises against modifying heating appliances.

Deschutes commissioners approve funds for managed homeless camp