No bodies found in debris from massive Bremerton motel explosion

No one was killed in a massive explosion that leveled part of a Motel 6 in Bremerton on Tuesday night.

Bremerton Fire Chief Al Duke says cadaver dogs found no bodies Wednesday in the debris. He says two people were unaccounted for, but when authorities pinged their cellphones, they showed up well south of the area of the explosion.

The concussion from the blast could be felt for miles around, according to KING 5. Windows at nearby businesses were blown out.

One person was critically injured by the explosion in the 3400 block of 11th Street; a Cascade Gas employee who was inspecting the leak shortly before the blast. That employee has second- and third-degree burns and is currently at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Bremerton police.

Hotel guests were evacuated, thanks to the manager Toyna Hines, a former volunteer fire fighter, who smelled the leak and called 9-1-1 shortly before 8 p.m.

“The smell was so intense, I knew this was very big. I called 9-1-1 immediately, and of course the fire department came, and the gas company was en route, I made an executive decision to evacuate my building,” Hines told KING 5.

“When you are not an authoritative figure, it’s very hard. I can say that after being a volunteer firefighter in my community. You have to make them realize how dangerous this situation is, so I was really having to raise my voice to make people move and get out of the area,” she said.

Her instincts were right. Approximately 30 minutes after the leak was reported, the explosion occurred.

Police say firefighters at the scene at the time of the explosion were blown back 20 feet.

Neighbors of the motel were shocked.

“I was outside barbecuing with my husband and two friends with my 8-month-old daughter,” Mariah Roberson told KING 5. “My daughter got freaked out so bad. My heart sank. I thought we were getting bombed.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.