Small natural gas explosion in pizza oven at Bend Poker Room sends one person to the hospital

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A small natural gas explosion in the kitchen of the Bend Poker Room in northeast Bend, traced to a gas-fired pizza oven, caused little damage Thursday afternoon but sent one person to St. Charles Bend with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

Bend Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched around 4:50 p.m. to the reported explosion in the kitchen area of the poker room in the 900 block of Northeast Greenwood Avenue, Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said.

Crews entered the business and found low levels of natural gas, but no fire, Kettering said.

Utilities were secured and Cascade Natural Gas crews responded to the scene, while one person was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Bend with what Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller told KTVZ News were non-life-threatening injuries.

"Upon investigation, it was found that the burners on the natural gas pizza oven had failed to ignite, leading to natural gas filling the oven area and subsequently igniting in a small explosion or flash fire that self-extinguished and did not damage the kitchen," Kettering said in a news release.

"The scene was turned over to Cascade Natural Gas and fire units cleared the scene," she said. "The business was able to open for the evening as normal, with the exception of use of the pizza oven."  

Kettering added some advice for such situations: "Bend Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community to act fast if you smell natural gas inside a structure.  Evacuate everyone from the structure immediately and call 911 from a safe location well outside of the building.  Don't smoke or operate any electrical devices that could create a spark."

For more information on natural gas safety, visit the Cascade Natural Gas website at https://www.cngc.com/safety-education/emergency-information/.