Max Baucus: “I rise in mourning and remembrance on the first anniversary of a devastating natural gas explosion in downtown Bozeman…”

“I rise in mourning and remembrance on the first anniversary of a devastating natural gas explosion in downtown Bozeman, MT. At 8:11 in the morning, 1 year ago, downtown Bozeman was quiet, under a thick blanket of snow. One minute later, a blast ripped through the silence, killing a young woman named Tara Reistad Bowman and devastating most of the 200 block of East Main Street. Windows were shattered as far as four blocks away. A passing cyclist commuting to work was thrown off his bike by the blast, and 911 calls showed that the explosion was felt miles away. The firefighters and rescue crews responding to the blast later found that a natural gas line behind Montana Trails Gallery was cracked and that a gas leak had caused the explosion. Ten businesses and several apartment units were leveled by the blast or engulfed in the flames that followed. Boodles and Starky's, the Rocking R Bar, and the American Legion--all destroyed. Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn described it as the worst catastrophe he had ever seen in the city. Firefighters from Bozeman, from Big Sky, and from Three Forks--nearby communities--all came to the rescue to put out the blaze. These brave men and women stopped the fire from spreading to nearby stores. The Montana National Guard was called upon to help provide security. One year after this tragedy, we pause to recognize today as a day of mourning and remembrance.”