East Providence, RI – An explosion at Taunton Avenue Bakery in East Providence sent one employee to the hospital with first and second degree burns on 20 percent of his body.
“One of the workers went to light the pilot on one of the ovens and an explosion occurred, said Chief Oscar Elmasian of the East Providence Fire Department, who noted that a crew of five or six bakers were inside preparing food during the incident.
Now, the fire marshal’s office is investigating. A gas leak is suspected to be the cause.
Fire officials said that the aromas of baked goods and ingredients inside the bakery could have hid any hint of a gas leak. The bakers simply couldn’t smell it.
The explosion took place Tuesday around 10:30 p.m., destroying an outer wall of the bakery. Yet, State Fire Marshal Jack Chartier said the building’s structural integrity has not been compromised.
Residents in the area told NBC 10 News that new gas lines were being installed in front of the building for the last couple of days. There are patches and paint on the road from where the work was done.
NBC 10 reached out to National Grid on Wednesday.
In a statement, a spokesperson confirmed that crews were working nearby.
“Tests of our equipment in the area have shown that the equipment was working properly at the time of the incident, the spokesperson said. We will continue to work with the fire marshal’s office in their investigation.”
According to Chartier, natural gas needs to have a certain level of mercaptan, which is a compound that gives it an odor. He does not think that was the problem in this instance.
“I have no reason to believe that the odor wasn’t in the gas at this point, said Chartier. I am not concerned with that at this time.
Elmasian shared similar sentiments.
“[Grid crews] were very quick to respond here, and we have no reason to believe we had gas outside the building,” he said.
NBC 10 asked Chartier if anything can be done to detect gas leaks without using odor. He said devices called lower explosive limit (LEL) detectors work like carbon monoxide detectors, though they are not mandated in Rhode Island.
“Yeah, those devices do exist, but are not required in this type of situation, Chartier said.
Neighbors are sad to see the popular bakery go.
While the owner is out of town on vacation, her father, Augusto Henriques, was at the scene. He said it was one of the best places around.
“Good bread [and] good pastries, said Henriques, adding that he doesn’t know if his daughter will rebuild.