A propane-fueled barbecue, left burning for nearly a day, caused a fire Friday that destroyed a ranch home east of Prineville.
The fire at the Keystone Ranch home, on Southeast Keystone Ranch Road about 14 miles from Prineville, was reported about 5:20 p.m., according to the Crook County Sheriff’s Office. A housekeeper said the fire started after she discovered that the patio barbecue had been left on, possibly for almost 24 hours.
When deputies arrived, black smoke was billowing from the house, coming from the walls and rising out of the roof, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The homeowners were gone at the time of the fire, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The home is outside the Crook County Fire District, so there was no firefighter response to the blaze.
The deputies and some relatives and friends of the homeowners attempted to put the fire out, but it fully engulfed the house after about 30 minutes.
A damage estimate from the blaze was not available.
