Published 1:18 pm Thursday, October 22, 2026

A kitchen fire caused heavy damage to the Black Bear Diner in Bend early Thursday morning.

According to Bend Fire & Rescue, crews were called by an on-duty Bend police officer who notice flames coming from the roof of the restaurant, located at the corner of Third Street and Northeast Olney Avenue.

Firefighters arrived at 12:51 a.m. to find flames reaching 15 to 20 feet above the roof. Crews extinguished the fire within minutes of arriving at the scene.

The fire was determined to have started when a faulty safety switch on the stove failed to shut off the gas as intended. The fire spread from the stove into the wall behind it and then into the attic. The diner sustained water and smoke damage throughout the restaurant.…