Northwest Bend, OR- A propane gas explosion in a northwest Bend garage Thursday morning could be heard for blocks and blew the garage doors off their tracks, injuring a man inside, officials said.
Bend firefighters responded around 10:30 a.m. to 1177 NW Federal Street after a 911 caller said he heard a loud explosion.
Arriving crews found no fire at the two-story home, but one injured person, resident John Robinson, who was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend, where he was treated and released.
The explosion blew the garage doors facing an alley off their tracks, said Fire Inspector Dan Derlacki.
“It was really big, really loud,” said one neighbor of the blast.
Derlacki said it appeared the propane ignited when the occupant attempted to light a propane stove.
Damage was estimated at $5,000 to the home, owned by Reed and Srara Fitkin, and $1,000 to a vehicle inside, Derlacki said.
The blast might not have happened to such a degree if the garage doors were open, Derlacki said, noting that people leave garage doors shut when its cold outside.
Derlacki reminded residents using any flammable or combustible gas or liquid to do it in a well-ventilated space. The vapors can collect in a confined space and ignite when the mixture in the air is right, he said.
That goes for cooking, heating, furniture refinishing, vehicle repair and other projects that can cause flammable vapors, Derlacki said.