Bend Fire had a busy Monday: House fire, six natural gas leaks, 51 calls

(Update: Cause of house fire, six natural gas leaks responded to)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend Fire & Rescue had a busy Monday, with a total of 51 calls, including a house fire and six natural gas leaks. Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said "crews were working tirelessly throughout the day and night."

Firefighters were called out around 6:45 p.m. for a reported house fire in the 19800 block of Mahogany Street, Derlacki said. A neighbor noticed smoke coming from the home and no one was home.

Crews arrived to find the house filled with smoke and a fire in the kitchen. An investigation found that a burner on the stove was accidentally turned on, and a box left on the stove ignited and started the kitchen on fire.

Derlacki said, "Bend Fire reminds everyone to ensure combustibles are not near cooking surfaces. Boxes, paper products, towels and clothing can catch on fire easily if they come into contact with cooking surfaces."

In this case, no one was home and the fire spread to the rest of the house. Damages are estimated at $40,000 for both the house and contents. The American Red Cross helped the family of three find a place to stay after the fire. 

"The gas leak calls came about by many different causes -- everything from a lack of maintenance to a burner left on to excavation caused the leaks," Derlacki said.

Cascade Natural Gas and Bend Fire urge everyone to call before they dig. Call 811 at least two days before you dig in order to get a location of all the utilities below the surface. This is true for homeowners and contractors alike.

Once the locates are made, ensure they are still visible when you go do to dig, to eliminate any guesswork as to where gas, power, water, communications, sewer and more are located, he said.

Damage to these without following the locate rules can result in fines or damage recovery. Go to call811.com to find out more and submit your request online.