By JODI HAUSEN Chronicle Staff Writer

Public safety workers continued to search for a missing woman in the rubble that was half of a downtown city block Friday afternoon after an explosion Thursday morning flattened several Main Street businesses.
A German shepherd search dog stood with its handler atop an eight-foot pile of debris as workers sifted through it looking for the woman authorities have so far declined to identify.
NorthWestern Energy shut off leaking natural gas around midnight Thursday, enabling crews to shift from emergency response to a recovery phase Friday morning, said assistant city manager Chuck Winn.
“We’ll have to go through the debris pile literally stick by stick, brick by brick,” he said.
The power company, Montana Public Service Commission, investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and local fire officials are attempting to recreate the circumstances leading up the explosion that rocked downtown Bozeman shortly after 8 a.m., Thursday.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., toured the devastated area Thursday afternoon and promised to provide as much assistance as possible to the city and affected business owners Friday afternoon.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Tester said while watching workers pick through the wreckage. “I don’t care if I ever see it again. It’s just unbelievable - that five businesses in the middle of the city were there one minute and gone the next.”
Tester said he wasn’t sure yet what sort of federal assistance would be available for affected business owners.
“This isn’t something that happens every day,” he said.
However, he did say that the Small Business Administration might be able to help and his staff will be available to assist in navigating the paperwork.
“These businesses are an important part of the community,” Tester said. “I hope they’re able to get back up and running, and we’ll do everything we can to help them.”

Jodi Hausen can be reached at jhausen@dailychronicle.com or 582-2630.