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Fire chief praises firefighter: He 'saved the lives of a lot of citizens'


Portland Fire Bureau Chief Mike Myers praises his firefighters Wednesday after a Northwest Portland bagel shop was destroyed in an explosion after a gas leak was detected. (KATU Photo)
Portland Fire Bureau Chief Mike Myers praises his firefighters Wednesday after a Northwest Portland bagel shop was destroyed in an explosion after a gas leak was detected. (KATU Photo)
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A brand new lieutenant in the Portland Fire Bureau acted heroically and put his life at risk Wednesday morning to save lives when an explosion destroyed a building and injured several people, the bureau’s fire chief said.

Chief Mike Myers said during an afternoon news conference (watch the full news conference above) that Lt. Peter St. John was injured in the explosion and had been taken to a hospital. Seven other people – two police officers, two other firefighters and three citizens – were also injured.

Portland Bagelworks in Northwest Portland was destroyed in the explosion after a gas leak was detected. Three firefighters were inside when the explosion occurred. Two of them suffered broken legs.

No one was killed.

Myers praised the actions of firefighters, especially those of John.

“This man, single-handedly, I believe, saved the lives of a lot of citizens today and a lot of firefighters,” he said.

Watch: Chief Myers describes what he saw and praises firefighter:

Myers said he learned that John had good instincts about the situation and used good judgment.

“My understanding is he went in on his own and pulled the fire alarms, which allowed those individuals to evacuate. Had those steps not been taken, we would be having a different conversation this afternoon,” he said.

The fire chief said he couldn’t immediately discuss the severity of John’s injuries and had yet to visit him in the hospital. But he said his injuries were serious. Late Wednesday night, a spokesperson for the fire bureau said John was out of surgery and in good spirits.

Myers also said the firefighters probably saved their own lives by putting their breathing equipment on, which was not something they usually do in situations like the one Wednesday, especially since when they first arrived there were no signs of fire.

“It just didn’t feel right,” Myers said about the situation. “Something didn’t feel right – they donned their air masks. That alone probably saved the lives of those firefighters.”

Myers said he was on his way to a meeting in Salem when he got the call that something had happened. He turned his car around and headed back.

When he arrived at the scene he said he saw someone on a stretcher covered in blood and being taken to an ambulance. He was told the person was a firefighter. Then he said he saw another firefighter whose face was covered in blood walking to medics for treatment.

Myers has only been the fire chief in Portland for about three months. He was impressed by the actions of his firefighters.

“What I watched were individuals who were calm, collected and made very, very good decisions that saved lives today,” he said. “I’m very impressed with the training and dedication of these firefighters and how they delivered care and aid today.”

Chief Myers: 'I’m very impressed with the training and dedication of these firefighters'

Mayor Charlie Hales echoed Myers' remarks, saying that there would have been deaths if it were not for the first responders.

“Well done to the professionals, the city of Portland, and to the citizens of the city of Portland for responding to this situation brilliantly, humanely and very well," he said.

Hales and other officials at the news conference thanked firefighters, police officers, citizens who stepped up to help and officials at NW Natural.

According to NW Natural, a third-party contractor hit one of its gas lines before the explosion.

The company and government officials said they are working to get service restored to customers and the street back open as quickly as possible. Just after 7 p.m. the company said the area was safe again but won't be able to restore service until the area is cleared and released by investigators.

NW Natural said it is working with Portland firefighters, other government officials and the Red Cross during the situation. The company asks anyone who needs help to call it at 800-882-3377.

"We want to express our deepest concern for those injured and those affected by today's events, and thank the first responders, including our employees, who all did an amazing job," the company said in a statement.

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