A gas leak traced to a meter’s faulty gasket in downtown Bend temporarily shut down NW Minnesota Avenue between Wall and Bond streets about 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Bend Fire Department.

The gasket was connected to a recently installed gas meter that was turned on Tuesday, said Battalion Chief Dave Howe. A Cascade Natural Gas worker isolated the leak and fixed the gasket problem around 1 p.m., Howe said.

“(A gasket) is small,” Howe said. “But any little bit of gas escaping can collect somewhere and end up a problem.”

The problem originated in a structure of gas meters located in a NW Gasoline Alley, beneath a vent that attached to the building at 126 NW Minnesota Street, Howe said. Howe said the vent appeared to serve D&D Bar & Grill or neighboring condominiums, Howe said.

“You don’t want to have gas going up into the building,” Howe said.

A gas leak also occurred last night on NE Division Street, Howe said. Such leaks are common.

“We have a lot of gas leaks,” Howe said. “We have a lot of gas in this town, so you have a lot of fittings, gaskets and whatnot. You’re going to have leaks, it’s what they do.”

Howe couldn’t immediately recall a fire that resulted from a gas leak, although some high-pressure leaks have happened, he said.

Fires can easily result from leaking gas.

“We’re just lucky it hasn’t happened yet,” Howe said.