Bakery Oven Explodes, Damaging Building

A popular bakery in Belmont, Massachusetts, sustained damage after a small explosion in an oven early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Belmont police said the explosion at Ohlin's Bakery on Common Street was reported around 2:50 a.m.

Owner Paul Klemm was inside the bakery with an employee at the time of the explosion. He was getting ready for the day and turned the oven on. It exploded about 15 minutes later.

He said they were lucky they wasn't injured in the blast.

"It was just like a big gust of hot air to the side of me. I couldn't feel it, but you could see it around me," Klemm said.

The rear of the building and an adjoining building sustained structural damage. Utilities to the bakery and gas service to the block have been shut off as a precaution, fire officials said.

Building inspectors will be assessing the damage.