The Associated Press
ENCINITAS, Calif. — A natural gas explosion and fire has badly damaged a McDonald’s restaurant in San Diego County, but customers and employees escaped before the blast.
The San Diego Union-Tribune says the explosion at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday caved in the roof of the restaurant in Encinitas, Calif. Damage was put at $500,000 to $700,000.
Encinitas Fire Marshal Robert Scott says kitchen workers smelled natural gas and told customers to leave. Four customers and at least four employees got out safely.
The blast sparked a fire that took about an hour to control. A neighboring optometry business had smoke damage.