An explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Fort Worth on Monday left a gaping hole in the street.
FORT WORTH, Texas — For the first time since the explosion that rocked downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Angeliki Farquhar saw the aftermath of the hair salon she runs across the street.
“It could have been much worse,” she said.
Her salon escaped major damage, but the gaping crater left by the explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel lies just a few steps from her front door.
“It’s right outside my window. That close,” she said.
Tim Ballard, owner of a Segway tour company next door, was worried about similar damage.
“I was pretty sure all the windows in the house were going to be blown out because it was right there,” he said.
But even if small businesses aren’t harmed, the explosion across the street is impacting their bottom line. It cannot be opened until permission is obtained from the authorities.
Photo: Hotel explosion scatters debris in downtown Fort Worth
Atmos employees are still inspecting gas lines in the area, and debris still remains on the street in front of the store on Eighth Avenue. Workers began installing plywood on the hotel’s exterior Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re closed on the weekends because it’s a stock show, so that hurts,” Ballard said. He said locals could reschedule, but tourists would have to cancel because they usually only stay in the city for a short period of time.
Both he and Farquhar know things could have been much worse, and neither has done enough damage to clean up. But waiting for everything to clear up and get back to work can be difficult.
“We hope to be able to reopen soon because it’s difficult for our clients,” Mr Farquhar said. “So I’m really just waiting. That’s the worst part. I’m just sitting there waiting.”
