Boom in the night: Everett Road restaurant destroyed by gas explosion
COLONIE – Members of the West Albany Fire Department didn’t have to wait for a fire whistle or pager to know something was wrong in the neighborhood on Thursday, March 4.
“The sound of the explosion was so loud it woke up two of our responders,” West Albany Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan said. “And they live over a mile away.”
At approximately 3:13 a.m. local firefighters were dispatched to 113 Everett Road for multiple reports of an explosion. When firefighters arrived, the building was on fire, with chunks of structure spread over the neighborhood.
“It looks like the explosion blew the roof straight up and it came back down on top of the structure,” Sullivan said. “The block walls on the side and back were laid out like it was a patio.”
The building was made of cement block wall and Sullivan said that is what probably protected the buildings around it. The explosion energy push up before the side walls collapsed.
“Other than a few chunks of debris on the roof next door and across the street, it is amazing that there wasn’t more damage to surrounding structures,” he said.
According to Colonie police, responders evacuated the apartments at 115 Everett located next door that also houses businesses. Although the apartments were less than 50 feet away, there were no injuries and windows of the building were still intact.
The building housed the Pad Thai Noodle Restaurant and the owners said that they closed as normal on Wednesday night with no sign of trouble.
“We came this morning to see this,” Sarinya Singthon said.
The restaurant and building was owned by her family and her mother, father and two brothers work there with her.
Earlier in the day Wednesday, Sarinya said they smelled the odor of gas coming from a new Pitman fryer that they had installed recently and called the company that installed it. The company immediately came out and checked and she said after that, the smell was no longer detected.
“They came and checked it and it was OK,” Sarinya said.
State and Colonie Fire investigators were on the scene and were investigating the cause.
The frequency of gas explosions has been more visible recently across the country, Sullivan said.
“I am not exactly sure what is going on with that, but we have seen some major explosions recently on the news,” he said.
Natural gas is lighter than air, so it rises and can collect under a roof, while propane gas is heavier than air and moves along the ground.
National grid was on the scene and earlier shut the gas and electric service off to the property so crews could work.
“The Town sent over an excavator so we can take this down and hit the hot spots,” Sullivan said. “What is left of the building is coming down today.”
It was still smoking at 9 a.m., as investigators were searching through the wreckage for an origin.
In addition to West Albany, crews from Fuller Road, Shaker Ridge-Loudonville, Midway, Village of Colonie and Menands Fire Departments responded to the blaze along with Colonie EMS, Town of Colonie Fire Services and State Fire.
Colonie police Lt. Robert Donnelly, said in a statement that due to large fire hoses across Everett Road, it will be closed to through traffic until the building is taken down and the threat of building re-igniting is gone.
The road is closed between 123 Everett and Kross Keys Drive. Patrons can still reach local businesses on foot.
The official cause of the fire is under investigation.
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