Portland Gas Explosion: 'It's a Miracle No One Was Killed'

A gas explosion in Northwest Portland destroyed a mixed-use building, damaged another and injured eight people Wednesday morning. A bagel shop, salon and tattoo parlor were among the businesses destroyed at the building at NW 23rd Avenue and West Burnside Boulevard.

The blast happened around 9:30 a.m. and injured eight people — three firefighters, two police officers and three civilians — but no one died. Four of the injured people are at Legacy Emanuel, and one is at Oregon Health Sciences University hospital.

Around 8:55 a.m. a construction crew working nearby reported having hit a gas line. Firefighters and workers from NW Natural Gas arrived around 9:30, and within minutes the building exploded. The firefighters called for "mayday," asking for help.

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"I have never seen devastation like this in my 28 years as a firefighter," said Portland Fire and Rescue Chief Mike Myers. "A number of residents of Portland reached out and offered not only good wishes but refuge."

Myers said it will be a long process as investigators comb through the remains of the buildings.

"It's a miracle no one was killed," said Mayor Charlie Hales.

Myers said that a big reason no one was killed are the actions of Lt. Peter St. John "who single-handedly saved a lot of lives."

Myers said that St. John's actions - from how he positioned the fire truck when they arrived to the fact he pulled fire alarms to get people out as quickly as possible to his decision to make sure his firefighters wore their air packs - undoubtedly saved lives.

Fire Spokesman Lt. Rich Chatman said it appears the firefighters suffered broken bones. One of those firefighters - St. John - was brought into surgery on Wednesday because of the severity of his leg injury.

Officials said there were two explosions - separated by no more than 20 seconds. The cause of the ignition is still unknown.

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"This is a threat these guys are always aware of when they go out on a call," Chatman said.

Chatman said "they were pretty caught off guard" by the explosion, adding that their device to measure gas did not indicate an imminent explosion.

As of noon, there were about 100 firefighters on scene.

Smoke could be seen for blocks, and people as far as 11 streets away reported feeling rattled by the explosion. Buildings blocks away had their windows blown out by the blast.

Medical crews also responded to nearby Chapman Elementary, where students reported feeling effects from the smoke in the air.

Investigators are still trying to determine what ignited the explosion. As part of the probe, agents from ATF as well as arson investigators from Portland Fire are on scene. One of the things they are looking for are surveillance cameras.

If anyone captured the explosion or the aftermath on video, fire investigators would like to hear from you at 503-823-INFO.

People in the area were being urged to shelter in place while NW Natural Gas workers checked lines in the area. Around 28 buildings had their gas shut off while workers inspect the lines.

Structural engineers were checking the stability of the affected buildings. Portland Fire says the area will be closed for hours. Officials have to figure out if the building is safe to enter or will have to use cranes to remove the structure, according to Lt. Chatman from Portland Fire.

Meanwhile, at one point as many as 2,300 customers lost power as well. The electricity was being kept off in some buildings until NW Natural has determined the area is safe. By 1:30, the number of customers without power was around 1,700.

Portland Fire said to expect traffic delays in the area around the incident and urged people to keep lanes clear for emergency vehicle.

Fire Commissioner Dan Saltzman left the city council meeting around 10:15 to head to the scene.

"Please stay away from the area," Saltzman tweeted. "Allow emergency responders to do their job."

Saltzman later thanked firefighters for their efforts.

"I want to express my great appreciation for the professionalism and sacrifice of our firefighters and first responders, who move quickly toward dangerous situations in order to protect lives," he said.

Several blocks in the area were roped off, and people were urged to stay away from the area.

A witness identified the bagel shop as Portland Bagelworks. A tattoo shop above the bagel shop also has apparently been destroyed. Dosha Salon, adjacent to the bagel shop, was also destroyed. Dosha said all of its employees had been safely evacuated.

The Portland Bagelworks building was built in 1906. The Dosha Salon had undergone a renovation earlier this year.

Investigators are looking at a construction nearby where Sammy's Flowers had once been located.

In addition to investigators from ATF and Portland Fire, officials from the Oregon Public Safety Commission were to track the response of both Portland Fire and NW Natural Gas.

Officials said the incident is a strong reminder of the importance of NW Natural's Call Before You Dig Program in which contractors are urged to call 8-1-1 before digging to making sure there are no gas lines in the line of work.

TriMet said that Lines 15 and 77 are experiencing delays due to police and fire activity as a result of the explosion.

A nearby school, the Metropolitan Learning Center, run by Portland Public Schools with about 425 K-12 students, was evacuated as a precaution. The students were bused to PPS headquarters on North Dixon Avenue. and were to be given lunch. Parents can pick the students up after noon.

The American Red Cross Cascades Region dispatched crews to the scene to provide food and water for first responders and to assist residents of the area who need help.

They opened a reception center for people affected by the explosion in NW Portland. The reception center is located at Beth Israel - 1972 NW Flanders St. in Portland. Anyone who has been displaced by this disaster and is in need of disaster-related assistance is encouraged to simply show up for help. Water, food and shelter assistance information will be available at this location for people affected by the disaster.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Photo courtesy Dave Rappoccio via Twitter

Photo courtesy Portland Fire

Photo courtesy of Daveinportand via Twitter