Belmont Bakery Owner Says He's Lucky To Be Alive After Explosion

BELMONT, MA - No one was injured after an early morning explosion rocked the Cushing Square area early Tuesday morning.

Reports of the explosion came in just after 2:30 a.m. at Ohlin's Bakery located at 456 Common St. There was no fire with the explosion, but several other businesses were impacted as it caused structural damage to the building.

The owner of Ohlin's Bakery, Paul Klemm, told CBS Boston he and his employees were lucky to be alive after when they turned the oven on to start their day Tuesday it exploded.

He escaped with singed hair and eyebrows.

Klemm was inside the store with another employee when the explosion knocked him off his feet; his colleague was not injured but later sought medical attention.

"He's a very lucky guy," Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzell said. "He was walking behind a stack of baking trays, which I think shielded him."

The blast knocked out the back wall of the bakery and damaged the window of a barbershop. Other surrounding stores sustained minor damage.

Frizzell said the explosion is believed to have been caused by gas from one of the baking ovens, but that has not yet been confirmed.

Patch will bring you more information as it becomes available.

Photo Credit: WHDH, 7-News