A massive Seattle gas explosion leveled two buildings and injured nine firefighters in the neighborhood of Greenwood early on Wednesday morning. According to The New York Times, the explosion was caused by a gas leak and Seattle Fire Department officials said crews responded at 1:04 a.m. to the area of N. 85th St. and Greenwood Ave. N. to investigate. At around 1:45 a.m., the explosion occured, sending flying glass and debris everywhere. While the origin of the explosion is still under investigation, Seattle Fire Department investigators are working with Seattle Police Arson Bomb Unit and Puget Sound Energy to determine where the leak originated. Although gas has been turned off to the area of the explosion, firemen will be standing by on fire watch. For relief efforts and to donate to local businesses and employees affected by yesterday’s explosion, see our list we compiled. We will continue to update it as we learn of additional relief efforts.

The Seattle Aquarium team is nursing a lost sea turtle back to health after he washed up on an Oregon beach on Monday. By the time he had been found, Tucker the turtle’s body had nearly shut down. Seattle Aquarium spokesman Tim Kuniholm told The Seattle Times that the Olive Ridley sea turtle had essentially become a piece of driftwood, and drifted off-course and away from the warm waters of Mexico’s Pacific Coast. When he was first examined by veterinarian Lesanna Lahner, it was believed that the turtle had already died, but when Lahner pinched his tail, the turtle tucked it in, thus earning his name and proving he was still alive. To nurse the turtle back to health, Lahner and her team slowly warmed Tucker up, helped regulate his breathing and fed him anchovies, shrimp and squid once he regained his appetite. The next step in his recovery will be swimming lessons to correct his buoyancy. According to Q13 Fox, Lahner plans to release Tucker in San Diego at the end of the month when he is in better health.

Expedia has unveiled designs for its huge Seattle waterfront campus. Almost a year ago, Expedia announced that it was relocating its headquarters from Bellevue to Seattle, and paid biotech giant Amgen $229 million for its prized 40-acre waterfront campus on Elliott Bay. Although the travel company won’t officially move to its new campus until 2019, some preliminary design and architectural plans have been introduced for the new workspace. According to GeekWire, Expedia has plans to repurpose four existing lab buildings into new open workspaces with higher ceilings which will allow more light, and extend each of them westward in a terraced manner. The buildings will be connected by a series of open atriums and the entire campus will become one solid structure. Wilkes-Barre, Penn.-based architecture Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (architects behind the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in Manhattan and Seattle public buildings like City Hall) was hired to design the office, while PWP Landscape Architecture, which worked on projects such as the National 9/11 Memorial, will design the landscape. For interior design of the 1.2 million square-foot building, Expedia hired Studios Architecture. 

Lynnwood-based coffee and espresso machine and accessories retailer Seattle Coffee Gear is expanding its specialty coffee progam “The Wall” at its Bellevue location from 32 specialty coffees ready to sample via pour-over or espresso brew method to 40. Freshly roasted and ground on demand from one of the grinders, each coffee is given its own story and place in the line up. Customers are encouraged to create their own “tasting flight” by selecting a few to try, brewing them up and sampling right there in the store. Customers are always encouraged to select and taste different brands from a mix of local and national roasters. In honor of expanding its coffee program, SCG will be hosting a special grand opening celebration of “The Wall” for the public on Saturday, March 12, at 9 a.m. There will be guest roasters, free treats and lots of coffee.