Witnesses Of South Mpls. Explosion Recall Intense Heat
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- There were around 40 cars in the Cub Foods parking lot when the explosion happened at intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 60th Street.
In fact, some people were heading to and from their cars when the gas line under the street exploded.
They said they heard the noise, then the incredible heat they felt. It was enough heat to damage the cars in the lot, even enough to melt the letters on the Cub Foods sign.
Mitch Madsen snapped pictures of his close call. The sales guy was almost into Cub Foods when he turned back for his cell phone.
"At first like I said, I thought it was a car accident but the flames were too high, too quick," said Madsen. "And it still was fairly small, but within a matter of seconds, the heat, it just got so hot and so bright ... I didn't want to hang around."
Pharmacy tech Karen Steinbring was in the lot, too.
"A swoosh like, almost, kind of like an explosion and it was kind of scary actually," said Steinbring.
It damaged her car...and her daughter's car.
"I just hope my insurance will cover the car and I can get another car, that's my only way back and forth to work," said Steinbring.
During WCCO's live coverage, meteorologist Mike Augustyniak explained how a natural gas fire burns at 900 to 1500 degrees.
"A typical house fire is around 1100 degrees, so this was significantly hotter than that. Obviously nothing but fuel burning there this morning," said Augustynuak.
"When that first exploded, we were immediately hot," said John Bennett, who was installing windows when it happened. "Immediately we felt it."
Roslyn Belanger checked out the damage to her Kia.
"Definitely not drivable," she said.
After the blast, Belanger went to a co-worker's place down the street.
"I was watching my car smoke on the news. So I knew my car had gotten it," she said.
It's a car she'd just sunk $2800 in to, but you won't hear Belanger complaining.
"It's replaceable, everybody's safe, nobody got hurt," she said.
Madsen said even though his driver's side door was melted shut, he was still hoping to drive his car off the lot.
Click here to read more about the fire and explosion in south Minneapolis.
