How Greenwood plans to recover after massive explosion

Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood may have been hit hard by Wednesday’s explosion, but neighbors and business owners are refusing to give up.

“I’ve had at least 250 people go ‘we will come down there now and help you clean up this bar.’ I can’t, of course, because it’s a safety issue at this point,” said Tim Pipes. “But there’s literally people coming out of the woodwork going ‘we love you, we’re not going to let you go down. ”

Tim Pipes owns the Angry Beaver, a Canadian hockey bar, which was right across from the blast that obliterated two buildings March 9. Pipes had closed early and was having a beer with regulars at 1:43 a.m. when the neighborhood erupted.

Related: Greenwood explosion so big that earthquake monitors recorded it

“Just out of the corner of my eye I caught the ignition across the street, turned my head, and there was a wall of fire coming at us. One second later, the explosion, the blast hit us: bottles flying off the shelf, plaster falling off the roof,” said Pipes. “We were in such shock, I’m in the same clothes I’ve been in for two days now. I’m exhausted out of my mind. I just can’t believe we’re still standing. If anybody had been out front, we would have been dead.”

Nine firefighters were injured, though none seriously, and all were released from Harborview Medical Center by Wednesday afternoon.

As for Pipes, with windows boarded up, glass all over the floor, and sheet rock covering his bar, he’ll have to shut down for two months, maybe more if exposed led and asbestos are found in the building. But, after paying high insurance premiums for years, he says he’ll be able to stay afloat with that coverage and the support he’s getting from the community.

Pipes and other business owners said this latest disaster comes after a crime wave hit the neighborhood, including burglaries, car prowls, and vandalism that caused significant losses and forced one shop out of business.

“My joke about this thing, hockey players – they’re a tough bunch, right? They get their teeth knocked out, they’re like ‘coach, put me back in the game.’ So I’m not going down, I’m going to come back better than ever,” said Pipes.

But others aren’t so lucky. A total of 36 businesses were damaged, at a cost of more than $3 million dollars, according to The Seattle Times.

Daniel Miller and Alex Sokolowsky live above Gordito’s on 85th, which was also heavily damaged by the blast. They don’t have renter’s insurance, and will have to replace any personal items that were damaged by the blast. The roommates were told it could be weeks, even months, before they can go back to living in their apartment because the building’s structure may have been compromised.

To help, dozens have rallied to raise money for displaced residents, business owners who might be pushed to the brink paying for repairs and lost inventory, and employees whose jobs were lost in the rubble.

On Thursday, supporters drank their way through the recovery effort, killing 12 kegs of Naked City’s Phoenix Golden Ale and raising around $8,125 from beer sales and $3,474 in cash stuffed into a barrel for a total of $11,599.

Online fundraisers and donations directly to the Phinney Neighborhood Association fund netted $78,950 by Thursday afternoon, with many more fundraising events in the works.

A total of 375 people had signed up through the Neighborhood Association to volunteer in the clean-up, or donate services like skilled labor and counseling.

The first work party is planned for Saturday March 12, to clean up, paint, and help start repairs with supplies provided by the local Fred Meyer.

Meanwhile, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is investigating the blast that obliterated two buildings, housing Mr. Gyros, Quick Stop Grocery, and Neptune Coffee.

Although Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins called the suspected natural gas leak “accidental,” and said it originated outside the building, crews still need to confirm that information and find out where the pipeline failed and what ignited the blast. Parts of the pipeline have already been excavated and sent to a lab, along with the gas meters for the buildings, for testing. However, it could be weeks before any causes for the blast are released.