Two Bend natural gas leaks; one prompts ‘shelter in place’ for nearby residents

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A pair of unrelated natural gas leaks occurred in different areas of Bend within 10 minutes late Monday afternoon, one resulting in "shelter in place" advice for a few nearby homes, officials said.

A loud hiss and smell of gas was reported about 4:50 p.m. at a fenced Cascade Natural Gas regulator station off Country Club Drive, Bend Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Andy Hood said.

At first, residents nearby could not only hear the loud hiss, but some smelled it as well, Hood said. But before too long, the gas was going "straight up into the air, no wind, dissipating very nicely."

First responders visited about a half-dozen nearby homes, urging residents to shelter in place and keep their windows closed until the line was capped, Hood said.

CNG spokesman Mark Hanson said Country Club Drive was closed at the railroad tracks for about a half-hour due to the regulator station issue. The "blowing gas" was shut off shortly before 6 p.m.

Less than 10 minutes after that gas leak call, someone digging with a shovel outside a building on Northeast Irving Avenue hit a gas line, Hood said. CNG technicians were on the scene soon, working to repair that line as well.