Officials update Thursday explosion (Updated)

By Chronicle Staff

Emergency workers late Thursday were able to shut off the gas leak that ensued from the explosion that rocked downtown Bozeman and destroyed four buildings on the 200 block of Main Street.
With the gas leak halted, the fire that had been burning since the explosion early Thursday was extinguished, said assistant city manager Chuck Winn Friday morning.
Law enforcement, NorthWestern Energy and the Bozeman Building Department are now moving into a recovery and investigation phase, ensuring downtown structures are sound before allowing people back in, he said.
Authorities are still searching for one woman who was lost in the early morning explosion.
The power company, Montana Public Service Commission, investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and local fire officials will now attempt to recreate the circumstances leading up the explosion that rocked downtown Bozeman at 8:12 Thursday morning.
“We need to go stick by stick, brick by brick,” Winn said.
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posted on Fri, Mar 06, 2009 12:21 PM
last updated on Fri, Mar 06, 2009 02:00 PM
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Century Old Buildings bycwrite March 06, 2009 (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
How can anyone be sure buildings erected a century ago are stable, especially the ones nextdoor to the missing ones. I'm staying out of them just in case-- even if some official says they are safe.