Bend, OR – A propane pipe exploded in a garage at a Widgi Creek condominium in southwest Bend, causing an estimated $75,000 in damages to the unit, according to a Bend Fire Department news release.
Fire officials responded to a call around 1:20 a.m. Sunday morning and found that the explosion blew out a garage wall and set fire to the opposite wall, according to the news release. No one was in the unit at the time, and fire crews were able to put out the fire and shut off the flow of propane.
The condominium’s propane meter had been buried under several feet of snow that had been removed from the roof, according to fire officials. A propane pipe next to the meter and within wall of the garage broke, causing the garage to fill with propane until it ignited, according to fire officials.
The explosion was discovered by a neighbor, and is estimated to have damaged about $15,000 worth of contents in the unit. Fire officials say people should be extremely careful when removing snow from roofs, and shouldn’t pile it on gas meters, fire hydrants or block emergency vehicles’ access to homes.