An apparent gas explosion left a restaurant in a pile of rubble early Thursday.
Sarinya Singtson said workers had replaced the fryer in her Pad Thai Noodle Restaurant.
“They already finished installing yesterday. But I smelled a little bit of the gas and I called them to come back. They’re going to send a new one today,” she told WTEN.
West Albany Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan it appeared the explosion lifted the roof off the top of the building. When the roof landed, the walls collapsed.
“I didn’t put any personnel inside this structure because it was totally compromised upon my arrival. We got ahold of some building owners and made sure everybody said, ‘No, they’re all accounted for. No one’s in there,'” Sullivan said.
No one was injured.
This was not the first time the structure has caught fire. About a decade ago, Sullivan was at the same place.
“Back then, there was some roof repairs being done. Hot tar and torches got the insulation between the rubber roof and everything. They got burning pretty good.”
