Blast Tied to Tofu Pan Puzzles Oregon Officials

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 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.