Families still trying to cope a week after Bremerton motel explosion

BREMERTON, Wash. – A week after the gas explosion at the Motel 6 in Bremerto, police released new information about what happened.

A father told officers he was helping his stepdaughter escape from a second-story window to avoid a domestic dispute with her mother when he -- and possibly his stepdaughter, too -- stepped on a gas meter and heard hissing.

About 30 minutes later, the hotel exploded.

Some families who lost everything are still trying to find a sense of normalcy a week later after watching the explosion destroy both their car and the motel room they had been staying in for weeks.

“The cop looked at me and he said it could have been worse, and I said, no, this is my car, I lived in my car,” said Wanza Avery.

Avery and her 16-year-old daughter, Cheyenne, say they were among the first to begin warning others about the smell of gas before the explosion leveled part of the motel.

“I mean, I knew that it was our room that first got demolished, so I was like, oh my gosh, what are we going to do?” said Cheyenne.

Three generations of the Averys are now staying in the Studio 6 in Mountlake Terrace, including 1-month-old Samaya, who even lost her crib in the explosion. Cheyenne will start school next week.

“It's really upsetting when I think about it,” said Cheyenne Avery. “I had my first day of school outfit all ready and all planned out, and it's all gone.”

With help running out, the Averys don’t know what’s next but are thankful they still have each other to figure it out.

A family friend has set up a fundraising site to help get the family back on their feet.  Click here if you'd like to visit it and donate.

As for Larry Jennings, the utility worker injured in the explosion, his status has upgraded from critical to serious at Harborview Medical Center.