The third fire of 2018 in an area populated mostly by homeless people east of Redmond broke out early Wednesday morning.
The area has no electrical power for heating or stoves. It still gets cold at night in April, and people have to keep warm and cook food. So those living on the land have to use propane or an open flame.
That makes fires a lot more likely, especially with plenty of brush around.
"Individuals who find themselves living in the land east of town are using open flame, propane or kerosene fuel, and as a result, accidents happen, unfortunately, more often than they do elsewhere," Redmond Police Lt. Curtis Chambers said Wednesday.