BEND, Ore. -- A fire early Thursday morning caused an estimated $250,000 damage to Bend's Black Bear diner, but a police officer who spotted the flames and a stove hood suppression system kept the losses from being even worse.

At 12:51 a.m., Bend Fire & Rescue crews were called to reports of a structure fire at the diner, at the corner of Third Street and NE Olney Avenue.

Firefighters arrived to find flames reaching 15 to 20 feet above the roof. Crews extinguished the fire within minutes of arriving at the scene, officials said.

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

Firefighters credit the diner’s hood suppression system with minimizing damage to the structure. Bend Fire & Rescue inspectors inspected the system two weeks earlier, and the system activated successfully during the fire.

A commercial kitchen hood suppression system is a specialized fire protection system designed to detect and extinguish grease, oil and open-flame fires within seconds. Businesses required to have hood suppression systems must have them inspected annually to ensure they are in working order.

Bend Fire & Rescue said it also would like to thank the Bend Police Department for its support during the call. The fire was first reported by an on-duty Bend Police Department officer who noticed flames coming from the roof of the diner. Officers forced entry into the building and confirmed it was unoccupied before assisting incoming crews with traffic control around the scene.