Blast tied to tofu pan puzzles Portland officials

[November 29, 2011]  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Fire investigators in Portland, Ore., are trying to figure out how cleaning a pan of tofu could cause an explosion that broke out a window and resulted in $15,000 of damage.

Fire Bureau spokesman Paul Corah tells The Oregonian (http://bit.ly/vLTwjn) that a woman in the Old Town district said she cooked tofu Sunday night, and as she washed the pan, a blast knocked a 4-by-6-foot window into the street.

Corah says the 25-year-old woman could tell investigators only that the hot pan "flashed" as she rinsed it. She suffered a slight hand burn.

Corah says investigators found no evidence of a fire, and natural gas is not suspected. He says investigators are calling other West Coast fire agencies for advice.

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com/

[Associated Press]

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