AC unit catches fire on roof of Platypus Pub

Trouble in the form of smoke was brewing on the roof of the Platypus Pub and Brew Shop on Northeast Third Street in Bend on Saturday afternoon, but fire crews were able to douse the fire before any damage to the building could occur, officials said.

Firefighters responded shortly after 3 p.m. to the reported smoke coming from a rooftop air conditioning unit of the former church (and one-time Le Bistro restaurant) at 1203 NE Third Street., said Bend Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp.

Crews using an aerial ladder were able to quickly extinguish the blaze in the unit before any structural damage. Total losses were estimated at $2,500.

Bend police assisted with traffic control on a mild spring Saturday on one of the city’s busiest streets, Stenkamp said, adding that both businesses were able to reopen within an hour.

Stenkamp said the cause of the fire was traced to the failure of an electrical pump in the A/C unit.