Portland Gas Explosion: Company Says it Was Their Subcontractor Who Nicked Gas Line

Construction workers on Northwest 23rd Avenue accidentally nicked a 3/4-inch gas line, setting the stage for an explosion that leveled one building, badly damaged another and sent people scrambling.

Only eight people were injured. The most serious of the injured was Lt. Peter St. John of Portland Fire & Rescue, who was singled out Wednesday for his actions.

Bremik Construction posted on its Facebook page that it was one of their subcontractors that nicked the line.

"A utility subcontractor was performing permitted utility line relocations in the right-of-way near a Bremik Construction project site at Northwest 23rd Avenue and Glisan Street when a natural gas pipeline was hit during excavation," the company said. "We understand utility notifications, locates and protocols were in place and clearly marked before work proceeded."

The company says they are cooperating with the investigation.

The explosion happened just after 9:30 on Wednesday morning, destroying a building holding Portland Bagel Works, a tattoo parlor and an eyewear shop. It also badly damaged the building next door - a recently renovated building that housed a Dosha Salon.

Windows of several businesses in the area had their windows blown out. The blast was felt blocks away.

"This could have been so much worse," Portland Police Spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said at a Thursday morning briefing.

Portland Fire Spokesman Rich Chatman said that fire investigators along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will be on scene Thursday, sifting through rubble and looking for clues.

"There is a tremendous amount of material they have to process and large amount of interviews they have to conduct," he said.

Chatman said a major focus will be trying to figure out "what the ignition source of the fuel was." He said it could have been as simple as a pilot light in the bagel shop.

Portland Fire Chief Mike Meyers asked Portlanders to visit the local businesses that are open during this difficult time. He reports that the investigation will still take a significant amount of time. Investigators will be on scene until at least Friday.

Chatman said that Myers met with St. John who is in "good spirits."

St. John is the only one of the injured eight people to have been kept overnight at the hospital. His leg was badly broken and required surgery.

The other injured firefighters were Brett Kimple and Eric Kent.

"They're all doing well," Chatman said. "The actions of those firefighters are very admirable. They are a group of firefighters who followed their training and used quick thinking to get people out of the building.

"Yesterday was surreal and a reminder of the dangers officials face everyday," Chatman said. "Unfortunately yesterday the worst case scenario played out."

The injured police officers were Larry MacNabb and Christopher Kulp. Both had to be "pulled from the scene," according to Simpson, who said they had wanted to keep helping people.

MacNabb is assigned to Central Precinct and was on patrol when the explosion happened. Simpson says that MacNabb considers the area where he patrols "home." Kulp is a school resource officer in the area.

Photos courtesy Portland Fire