If the creators of "Portlandia' -- the cable television show that pokes fun at us – need a sketch, they should take a look at a Sunday-night explosion that involves – of all things – tofu.



Not only is it so Portland, but the cause of the explosion is such a mystery that investigators up and down the West Coast are being contacted to see if they can help figure out what happened. He said natural gas is not suspected.



"We're scratching our heads," said Paul Corah, spokesman for the Portland Fire & Rescue. "We're all baffled."





Just after 8:15 p.m. fire crews were called to an apartment building in the 300 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue in the heart of Old Town.



"When they arrived they found a woman sitting outside crying," Corah said. "She said there'd been an explosion and she was upset. She had a slight burn on her left hand, but was otherwise not hurt."



The woman told investigators was cooking tofu and had rinsed out the pan with water when there was explosion. The blast was so powerful that it blew a 4 by 6 window out of the building and onto the street, Corah said.



"Could steam have put that much pressure on a window?" Corah wonders. "Everyone from the chief on is puzzled. The fire investigator can't figure it out. I've been here 30 years and never heard of such a thing. We're all dumfounded. Investigators are making calls today to see if other investigators have heard of something like this."



The woman was unable to help, saying she had been cooking tofu and rinsed off the pan, Corah said.



Damage is estimated at $15,000.



The case seems to fall in the gray area – equal parts CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Rachael Ray.



So amateur detectives, any ideas?



–Tom Hallman Jr.



