Bozeman gas explosion cont

The city is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. on a Thursday morning explosion that rocked downtown Bozeman, destroying a Main Street eatery and prompting the evacuation of the area.

Reports indicate the explosion happened just around 8:00 a.m. Thursday in the 200 block of Main Street in the city's downtown.

Boodles, a downtown bar and restaurant was destroyed. Police have issued a mandatory evacuation of the two blocks surrounding the eatery.

Crews are working to extinguish the fire at the restaurant where smoke is rapidly rising and power has been reportedly cut in a portion of Mendenhall.

Ken Olson, the owner of the Pickle Barrel, a Main Street restaurant in the area, said no one was in his eatery at the time of the explosion and he believes all of his employees are safe. There is no word yet on whether anyone has been injured.

A diner at Main Street Overeasy on Main Street described the sound like that of a cannon firing. She said diners heard the noise and felt the building shake. The power immediately went out, she said.

More details will be provided on this developing story as they become available.