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"Investigators swarmed the site where J.J.'s restaurant on the Country Club Plaza exploded and burned nearly a month ago.Private investigators and experts in natural gas explosions were getting their first close look at what happened on Feb. 19. Many of the investigators have been hired by firms who are building cases for likely legal battles.About 60 people looked over the remnants of the building and photographs of the debris. Some took digital measurements and made oral observations into tape recorders.Flames from the explosion shot 100 feet into the air on the evening of the fire, but a bottle of wine with its label intact was still sitting on a restaurant table during this inspection.Thursday was first of three days that investigators would have access to the site. Some of the investigators used red flags to mark particular locations in the debris.No one at the scene would talk to KMBC 9 News about the search, citing the expected lawsuits. Teams from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were at the scene, and so was former Kansas City Fire Chief Smokey Dyer, who said he had been hired by a local law firm.A Kansas City Fire Department report released Wednesday blamed the explosion on natural gas vapors that had gathered inside the restaurant. A gas leak had started to fill the restaurant with the odor of natural gas about an hour before the explosion.A manager told fire investigators they had turned off the restaurant's stoves and extinguished all candles, but the pilot lights to the stove and water heater remained on.Kansas City Fire Chief Paul Berardi issued what the department said was a final statement about the J.J.'s fire: \"Injuries to the public and the loss of property weigh heavily on firefighters, whether in major events such as this or in the fires and accidents we address every day. The Kansas City Fire Department accordingly reviews all major operations, especially those involving injury or a fatality, for the purpose improving firefighters\u2019 ability to better protect human life and property.\"Although our evaluation is not yet complete, we have identified and implemented actions designed to enhance safety and service:\u00A0\"1.\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0 Dispatch protocols have been modified to specifically ensure that the initial dispatch for a known or suspected gas leak will include a battalion chief and a fire unit carrying monitoring equipment.\"\"2.\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0 Firefighters will continue to consult with utility experts on scene to determine appropriate action but will remain on scene until the situation posing risk is resolved (i.e., gas flow curtailed and readings within acceptable range).\"Server Megan Cramer died in the explosion and fire, and 15 other people were injured."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.kmbc.com/article/dozens-of-investigators-swarm-site-of-plaza-restaurant-explosion/3674857>