Nine Seattle firefighters are hurt after a natural gas blast. Other firefighters are still working to put out the flames.
Eight firefighters and a battalion chief went to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries, according the Seattle Fire Department.
Fire crews at 85th and Greenwood Ave N for explosion. Evacuations taking place. 9 SFD transported- 8 FF and 1 BC. pic.twitter.com/nyQC6nBzdL
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) March 9, 2016
Some of the damage from the explosion. pic.twitter.com/BXmzDshnr7
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) March 9, 2016
The explosion happened just after 1:30 a.m. according to our sister sation KOMO. Emergency dispatch call logs show firefighters had responded to the building for a natural gas leak about 25 minutes earlier.
Some area residents had to be evacuated.
HAPPENING NOW: @SeattleFire cleaning up broken glass more than a block away. #greenwoodgasexplosion #LiveOnKOMO pic.twitter.com/IDVkVW4EoU
— Danthetruckguy (@danthetruckguy) March 9, 2016
The fire department said they had a total of 67 firefighters, command staff and medics at the scene.
There is no word of any other injuries or anyone missing. Fire department spokeswoman Corey Orvold says dogs are being used to go through the rubble just in case.
A KOMO photographer at the scene said the explosion destroyed the Quick Stop Grocery, Neptune Coffee and Mr. Gyros, and heavily damaged the G & O Family Cyclery.
The blast sent debris scattered across the neighborhood and shattered windows in buildings as far as two blocks away from the scene, KOMO reported.
Firefighters continuing to fight a fire at 85th and Greenwood Ave. pic.twitter.com/6ZhDpwIhPJ
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) March 9, 2016
Firefighters extinguished the hot spots and started securing buildings at about 6:30 a.m. PT.
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