Bozeman Explosion 3/5/09

I need to give credit were credit is due. These pictures which capture so much of the chaos downtown, were photographed by my friend, Eric Allan.

This is a 'blurb' that he had written on his facebook.

Bozeman, MT "At 8:15 AM, downtown Bozeman was rocked by a massive explosion, the largest in the area in 24 years. According to witnesses and authorities, Boodle's Restaurant, at 215 East Main Street, exploded due to an apparent gas leak. Some witnesses say the roof flew at least 100 feet in the air. Windows as far as five blocks away were blown out and rubble was strewn across two blocks. Large chunks of roofing and wall material were caught in trees two blocks away from the scence. The force of the explosion was so great that it pushed cars across much of the six-lane-wide roadway. The concussion was felt as far away as Montana State University and Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, both a few miles from downtown. One woman is still unaccounted for, and is thought to have possibly been in Boodle's when the explosion happened. Crews have not been able to get inside to search because gas was still leaking as of 10PM and the area is just too hot. Otherwise, it appears nobody else is missing or injured. Had the explosion happend as little as three or four hours later, the restaurants and stores would have been packed full of people. Fire crews from several areas, including Bozeman, Amsterdam, Sourdough Canyon, Big Sky, Belgrade, Central Valley, and Four Corners, and police from all across the region, including Bozeman Police, Montana State University Police, Montana Highway Patrol, Gallatin County Sheriff, Belgrade Police and neighboring sheriff's departments, responded and sealed off a four block by two block area. Governor Brian Schweitzer has also called in the Montana National Guard to help with the recovery, clean-up, and keeping the area closed off. Nearby Hawthorne Elementary School was also evacuated, but there were no injuries or damage reports there. The fire has burned for at least 12 hours at last report, and health officials now fear that people who inhaled the smoke may have inhaled numerous toxins, possibly including asbestos dust, depending on the make-up of the buildings, some of which were built around the turn of the 20th century. All in all, Boodle's Restaurant, The Rocking R Bar, Montana Trails Gallery, Pickle Barrel Sandwich Shop, The American Legion, Lilly Lu's Children's Store, and The Montana Dance Studio were all destroyed, while the Rocky Mountain Rug Gallery, Starkey's Deli, Mackenzie River Pizza Company, and others suffered damage from the blast and fire. Fire breaks installed in the early 1900s may have been the only obstacle preventing the fire from spreading any further. Authorities may have Main Street re-opened up to Bozeman Avenue, the main street running alongside the scene, as early as Friday morning. As of midnight, there was no word on when the remaining area will re-open to traffic. Water, gas, and power are shut down to much of downtown, which officials fear may be a problem if temperatures drop below zero, as forecasted for this weekend. A potent Pacific Storm system coming in Thursday night is expected to complicate current efforts as well, with several inches of new snow, and winds that pose a threat to flare ups. Damage assessment and cleanup are expected to take up to two weeks and rebuilding could take months. Businesses already hurting in this economy are now left trying to recover, and people are out of jobs at one of the worst times. As a tight-knit community, however, Bozeman will come together to rebuild and will bounce back better and stronger than before."
-- Eric Allan, 5 March 2009


main street


the corners of the building

store windows

law enforcement everywhere

after the smoke cleared

debris in the trees

and on the ground


It's amazing to think that only one life was lost in such an tragic event!