A powerful natural gas explosion rocked a busy Portland, Oregon, shopping district Wednesday, injuring eight people and igniting a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke over the heart of the city.

A firefighter battles a blaze after a gas explosion in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A powerful natural gas explosion that neighbors said felt like an earthquake rocked the busy shopping area. (Don Ryan/AP)

Smoke rises as firefighters battle a blaze after a gas explosion in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A powerful natural gas explosion that neighbors said felt like an earthquake rocked the busy shopping district. (Don Ryan/AP)

Firefighters stand under blown out windows after a gas explosion in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A powerful natural gas explosion that neighbors said felt like an earthquake rocked the busy shopping district. (Don Ryan/AP)

Firefighters battle a blaze after a gas explosion in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A powerful natural gas explosion that neighbors said felt like an earthquake rocked the busy shopping district. (Don Ryan/AP)

Firefighters battle a blaze after a gas explosion in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. A powerful natural gas explosion that neighbors said felt like an earthquake rocked the busy a busy shopping district. (Don Ryan/AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. — A powerful natural gas explosion rocked a busy Portland, Oregon, shopping district Wednesday, injuring eight people and igniting a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke over the heart of the city.

Three firefighters, two police officers and three civilians were hurt and one of the firefighters was in surgery Wednesday afternoon for a broken leg, authorities said. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening.

A building that housed a bagel shop and a beauty salon in the popular NW 23rd Street shopping district was reduced to rubble and its smoldering roof was splayed across the road.

The exterior of a building next door also was ripped off. Its windows were blown out, exposing the insides of what appeared to be high-end apartments, and debris was everywhere.

Firefighters swarmed the scene and dumped water from ladder trucks onto the smoking wreckage.

Structural engineers were asked to assess the building’s integrity, and neighbors were told to shelter in place.

The situation could have been much worse.

Portland’s NW 23rd Street — nicknamed “Trendy Third” — is packed with boutiques, bars and restaurants. Many of the businesses are on the street level with pricey apartments on the upper levels, and there’s a day care in the vicinity.

But the explosion happened before 10 a.m. when many businesses were still closed, and first responders also had warning.

The utility that serves the area got a call saying that a construction crew had hit a gas line and authorities and utility workers who investigated had evacuated the building, said Melissa Moore, a spokeswoman for NW Natural.

People in the neighborhood reported smelling gas as they were evacuated and later felt the explosion.

An employee at a nearby kitchen accessories store said he was in the washroom when he felt a huge explosion and emerged to find thick smoke and haze. Scott Bergler said 15 windows in the first-floor store were blown out.

As he evacuated the Kitchen Kaboodle shop, Bergler saw a firefighter on the ground who had been knocked flat by the blast.

“He was obviously in shock and crawling and having a hard time standing up,” said Bergler, who was still visibly shaken by the ordeal as he gathered with co-workers in a parking lot.

Nicole Christiansen climbed exterior stairs to a rooftop of a nearby building so her 2-year-old son, Theo, could see everyone was safe.

The child had been evacuated from his day care center just before the blast but heard the explosion and was scared, she said. He looked on with wide eyes and clutched a crumpled napkin from an unfinished snack as firefighters poured water on the building.

“I saw the smoke from way down the hill, and I realized he was impacted,” she said. “He has to go home.”</s>The explosion, which destroyed the Portland Bagelworks restaurant, triggered a four alarm fire that sent a large plume of black smoke into the air.

No fatalities were reported from the blast. Portland Fire & Rescue told the public to avoid the area near NW block of 23rd and Glisan to allow first responders to gain access.

Those in the immediate vicinity of the fire were asked to shelter in place.

The incident began when a contractor hit a gas line, prompting an evacuation of the building. When crews started to respond the leaking gas ignited, causing the explosion, according to Fox 12 in Portland.

It is unclear what ignited the blast.

Portland Fire & Rescue said structural engineers are being called in to investigate.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. — The Latest on an explosion in Portland, Oregon, (all times local):

Authorities say two firefighters and two civilians were injured in a powerful explosion that shook a northwest Portland, Oregon, as utility workers were repairing a damaged gas line.

Lt. Rich Chatman, spokesman for Portland Fire and Rescue, said there were no fatalities in the Wednesday morning incident that he described as a "significant" explosion. An earlier tweet from the fire department said three firefighters were injured. Chatman said the situation was in flux and authorities were still gathering information about the blast.

The explosion was felt throughout the and smoke was seen billowing from a building.

Fire officials called in additional resources after the initial response to deal with the situation.

Fire officials in Oregon say in a tweet that "multiple firefighters" were injured in a blast that rocked a northwest Portland as utility workers were repairing a damaged gas line.

A KGW-TV reporter at the scene says he saw an injured firefighter with blood on his face.

KGW-TV says it was told by utility officials that the explosion occurred as utility workers and firefighters responded to reports of a damaged gas line.

An explosion has rocked a in northwest Portland. A tweet by Portland Fire and Rescue called it a "gas incident."

It was not clear whether there were any injuries in the Wednesday morning blast, or the extent of damage.

People living in the said buildings shook from the blast.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. — A powerful natural gas explosion rocked a busy Portland, Oregon, shopping district Wednesday, injuring eight people and igniting a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke over the heart of the city.

Three firefighters, two police officers and three civilians were hurt, and one of the firefighters had surgery for a broken leg, authorities said.

None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

City officials said a catastrophe was averted by speedy work from firefighters and police who cleared the area of people before the blast.

"There are a lot of people alive" who might not be "but for the excellent work by our first-responders," Mayor Charlie Hales said at an afternoon news conference.

A building that housed a bagel shop and a beauty salon in the popular NW 23rd Street shopping district was reduced to rubble, and its smoldering roof was splayed across the road.

The windows of a nearby building were blown out and debris was everywhere. Firefighters swarmed the scene and dumped water from ladder trucks onto the smoking wreckage.

NW Natural released a timeline saying the explosion occurred at 9:38 a.m. — a time when many businesses were still closed — and first-responders had warning about the gas leak.

Portland's NW 23rd Street — nicknamed "Trendy Third" — is packed with boutiques, bars and restaurants. Many are on street level with pricey apartments on the upper levels and a day care facility in the vicinity.

The utility said it got a call at 8:55 a.m. saying a construction crew had hit a gas line. Authorities and utility workers responded in 15 minutes and evacuated the building, NW Natural said in its statement.

People in the neighborhood reported smelling gas as they were evacuated and later felt the explosion.

The utility hasn't determined what caused the gas to ignite.

An employee at a nearby kitchen accessories store said he was in the washroom when he felt a huge explosion and emerged to find thick smoke and haze. Scott Bergler said 15 windows in the first-floor store were blown out.

As he evacuated the Kitchen Kaboodle shop, Bergler saw a firefighter on the ground who had been knocked flat by the blast.

"He was obviously in shock and crawling and having a hard time standing up," said Bergler, who remained shaken by the ordeal as he gathered with co-workers in a parking lot.

Nicole Christiansen climbed exterior stairs to a rooftop of a nearby building so her 2-year-old son, Theo, could see everyone was safe.

The child had been evacuated from his day care center just before the blast, but he heard the explosion and was scared, she said. He looked on with wide eyes and clutched a crumpled napkin from an unfinished snack as firefighters poured water on the building.

"I saw the smoke from way down the hill, and I realized he was impacted," she said. "He has to go home."</s>PORTLAND, Ore. — A powerful natural gas explosion rocked a busy Portland, Oregon, shopping district Wednesday, injuring eight people and igniting a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke over the heart of the city.

Three firefighters, two police officers and three civilians were hurt and one of the firefighters was in surgery Wednesday afternoon for a broken leg, authorities said. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening.

A building that housed a bagel shop and a beauty salon in the popular NW 23rd Street shopping district was reduced to rubble and its smoldering roof was splayed across the road.

The exterior of a building next door also was ripped off. Its windows were blown out, exposing the insides of what appeared to be high-end apartments, and debris was everywhere.

Firefighters swarmed the scene and dumped water from ladder trucks onto the smoking wreckage.

Structural engineers were asked to assess the building’s integrity, and neighbors were told to shelter in place.

The situation could have been much worse.

Portland’s NW 23rd Street — nicknamed “Trendy Third” — is packed with boutiques, bars and restaurants. Many of the businesses are on the street level with pricey apartments on the upper levels, and there’s a day care in the vicinity.

But the explosion happened before 10 a.m. when many businesses were still closed, and first responders also had warning.

The utility that serves the area got a call saying that a construction crew had hit a gas line and authorities and utility workers who investigated had evacuated the building, said Melissa Moore, a spokeswoman for NW Natural.

People in the neighborhood reported smelling gas as they were evacuated and later felt the explosion.

An employee at a nearby kitchen accessories store said he was in the washroom when he felt a huge explosion and emerged to find thick smoke and haze. Scott Bergler said 15 windows in the first-floor store were blown out.

As he evacuated the Kitchen Kaboodle shop, Bergler saw a firefighter on the ground who had been knocked flat by the blast.

“He was obviously in shock and crawling and having a hard time standing up,” said Bergler, who was still visibly shaken by the ordeal as he gathered with co-workers in a parking lot.

Nicole Christiansen climbed exterior stairs to a rooftop of a nearby building so her 2-year-old son, Theo, could see everyone was safe.

The child had been evacuated from his day care center just before the blast but heard the explosion and was scared, she said. He looked on with wide eyes and clutched a crumpled napkin from an unfinished snack as firefighters poured water on the building.

“I saw the smoke from way down the hill, and I realized he was impacted,” she said. “He has to go home.”</s>PORTLAND, Ore. — The Latest on a gas explosion in a popular Portland, Oregon, shopping district (all times local):

Authorities say three firefighters injured in a gas explosion in a popular Portland, Oregon, shopping district are doing well.

Portland Fire & Rescue Lt. Rich Chatman said Thursday that Lt. Peter St. John was in good spirits following surgery for a broken leg. The fire chief, who said St. John made several critical decisions that likely saved lives, visited him.

Chatman says construction workers cut a three-quarter-inch natural gas line outside a building Wednesday and gas collected inside. The ignition source inside the structure has yet to be determined.

The blast obliterated that building and damaged others.

Police Sgt. Pete Simpson said two officers also are recovering from "concussive-type" injuries. He said both tried to stay at the scene of the explosion and had to be ordered to go to the hospital.

Three civilians also were hurt.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Firefighters who responded to what should have been a routine call about a gas leak in Portland, Oregon, likely saved lives when they decided to evacuate the building and pulled a fire alarm to warn holdouts just minutes before a powerful explosion, officials said.

The blast shortly after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in a popular shopping district injured eight people and ignited a fire that sent a plume of smoke over the heart of the city.

Three firefighters, two police officers and three civilians were hurt, and one of the firefighters underwent hours of surgery for a broken leg, Portland Fire Chief Mike Myers said at an afternoon news conference. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

City officials said a catastrophe was averted by speedy work from firefighters and police who cleared the area of people before the blast.

“There are a lot of people alive” who might not be “but for the excellent work by our first responders,” Mayor Charlie Hales said.

A building that housed a bagel shop and a beauty salon in the popular NW 23rd Street shopping district was reduced to rubble, and its smoldering roof was splayed across the road.

The walls and windows of a nearby building were blown out, debris was everywhere and businesses three blocks away reported that their doors flew open from the force of the blast.

Firefighters swarmed the scene and dumped water from ladder trucks onto the smoking wreckage. Dozens of business owners and residents were still barred from the area as night fell Wednesday.

NW Natural released a timeline saying the explosion occurred at 9:38 a.m. — a time when many businesses were still closed.

Portland’s NW 23rd Street — nicknamed “Trendy Third” — is packed with boutiques, bars and restaurants. Many are on street level with pricey apartments on the upper levels and a day care facility in the vicinity.

The utility said it got a call at 8:55 a.m. saying a construction crew had hit a gas line. Authorities and utility workers responded in 15 minutes and evacuated the building, NW Natural CEO David Anderson said at the new conference.

People in the neighborhood reported smelling gas as they were evacuated and later felt the explosion.

The utility hasn’t determined what caused the gas to ignite, Anderson said at the news conference that it was an extremely rare event that required a certain amount of ambient gas, an enclosed space and an ignition source.

An employee at a nearby kitchen accessories store said he was in the washroom when he felt a huge explosion and emerged to find thick smoke and haze. Scott Bergler said 15 windows in the first-floor store were blown out.

As he evacuated the Kitchen Kaboodle shop, Bergler saw a firefighter on the ground who had been knocked flat by the blast.

“He was obviously in shock and crawling and having a hard time standing up,” said Bergler, who remained shaken by the ordeal as he gathered with co-workers in a parking lot.

Authorities credited firefighters and police officers with saving lives by reacting quickly to evacuate the building.

One young fire lieutenant in particular — the one with the badly broken leg — made several critical decisions that likely saved lives, said Myers, the fire chief.

Lt. Peter St. John positioned the fire trucks in such a way that they were out of the blast zone and then ran into the building to pull fire alarms when firefighters realized not everyone had evacuated as ordered, he said. He and other firefighters also decided to don their air packs and protective masks before the blast because something “just didn’t feel right,” Myers said.

“That man saved the lives of a lot of people today and a lot of firefighters,” he said. “He had very good instincts today. He showed good judgment.”</s>PORTLAND, Ore. — A natural gas explosion rocked a busy northwest Portland, Oregon, Wednesday morning, injuring two firefighters and two civilians.

A multi-story building was heavily damaged from what fire officials called a "significant explosion." Neighbors spoke of the explosion blowing out windows and feeling like an earthquake.

Lt. Rich Chatman, spokesman for Portland Fire and Rescue, said there were no fatalities, but two firefighters and two others were injured. The extent of the injuries was not clear. An earlier tweet from the fire department said three firefighters were injured. Chatman said the situation was in flux and authorities were still gathering information about the blast.

Structural engineers were requested to assess the building's integrity and were asked to shelter in place.

The blast occurred in a that has condos as well as coffee shops, restaurants and other stores.

Utility officials told KGW-TV that utility workers and firefighters were responding to reports of a damaged gas line when the blast occurred. Before the explosion residents could smell gas, and crews arrived and told them to evacuate, the station reported.

A KGW-TV reporter said he saw a firefighter with a bloodied face.
A natural gas explosion damages several buildings and injures eight people in downtown Portland, Oregon.