Oregon
Thunderstorms rumble through Central Oregon with lightning, rain and hail; one sparks half-acre fire north of Bend – KTVZ
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Thunderstorms rumbling across Central Oregon late Sunday afternoon brought some lightning, heavy rain and pea-sized hail. They also sparked a few fires, one that burned about a half-acre off U.S. Highway 97 near 61st Street north of Bend.
Bend Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said the fire reported just before 5:30 p.m. south of 61st Street was the largest of three lightning-sparked blazes Bend Fire & Rescue crews responded to Sunday evening. The other two were single-tree fires in rural southeast Bend.
A National Weather Service spotter near Deschutes River Woods reported half-inch hail as the storm moved north toward Redmond.
The NWS warned shortly before 6 p.m. of a strong thunderstorm near Redmond and Terrebonne, moving north at 30 mph, with winds gusting to 40 mph and half-inch hail. They recommended, if outdoors, to consider seeking shelter inside a building.
That’s just what happened to thousands of music-lovers attending the closing night of this weekend’s FairWell Festival at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond.
Festival officials announced a weather delay and said on their website, “Due to an approaching storm, performances have been suspended momentarily. We expect this to be a temporary delay. Please head to the First Interstate Bank Center and await further updates.”
Someone told NewsChannel 21 about the event suspension and said, “Hope it passes quick … hot in here!” And later, festival organizers said the event had resumed.