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Fire Lt. ‘thankful’ Seattle gas explosion wasn’t worse

The explosion destroyed three buildings and damaged several more; Lt. Ed Newell said firefighters were “in the right place at the right time”

SEATTLE — Firefighters in Seattle are thankful for escaping serious injury after an explosion destroyed three buildings and damaged several more Wednesday.

King5.com reported some of the firefighters who responded to the explosion are returning to see the aftermath.

“This is just surreal,” said Lieutenant Ed Newell.

Newell was standing next to one of the buildings when it exploded.

“I heard a deep resonate woof, kind of a sucking sound, then a deep resonate boom. And then I turned away,” Newell said.

Newell suffered a black eye and minor bumps and bruises but emerged from the explosion without life-threatening injuries. After the explosion, Newell and his battalion chief immediately began searching through the rubble to make sure all of the firefighters were accounted for.

“Why we weren’t more seriously injured? Honestly speaking, I think there are always elements of being in the right place at the right time,” Newell said.

Investigators are working to identify the source of the gas leak.