PORTLAND, Ore. — A leaking propane tank caused an explosion early Tuesday at a Portland food cart pod , leaving business owners cleaning up damage while rallying to support one another.
The blast happened around 4:30 a.m. at the Springwater Cart Park near Southeast 82nd Avenue and Johnson Creek Boulevard.
Michelle Rademacher, owner of The Crystal Guide shop at the cart park, said she was awakened by a phone call about the explosion.
“I just was in shock, to be honest with you,” she said, describing how she and her husband rushed to the scene in about 17 minutes.
When she first entered her damaged shop, Rademacher found doors blown in, damage to walls and ceilings, and destroyed merchandise from more than 130 local and independent artists she represents.
“They’ve grown to be like fam