BREMERTON – Police aren’t entirely sure, but they released details Aug. 26 that backs-up an earlier theory as to why the Bremerton Motel 6 erupted into a fireball Aug. 18.

The rumor that spread across the Internet immediately following the blast was that someone was seen climbing down the side of the building from a third-story window, and that the climber might have inadvertently broken a gas line.

According to Bremerton Police, that theory has some weight to it.

Shortly before the motel exploded Aug. 18, officers were called to the motel to handle a disturbance of some kind related to a family dispute.

The disturbance was in relation to a juvenile female who had fled her home in Brownsville following a family argument. Her step-father, who lives in the home, had spoken with her by cell phone, located her, and had taken her to the motel to let everyone cool down and keep her away from her mother.

According to information police now have, the mother apparently showed up at the motel, and the step-father apparently coordinated with another male to get the juvenile female out of the motel. The step-father admitted that he stepped on the gas meter to assist his step-daughter out of the second floor window. The step-daughter may also have contacted the meter and the pipes leading to it.

The man further admitted that after contacting the meter and pipes they heard a loud hissing sound, but the three immediately left and drove away in a Suburban type vehicle. This is apparently the vehicle reported by some witnesses as being in the area just before the leak was reported. The manager and others noted the hissing sound, and began evacuation shortly thereafter.

Officers were just arriving to respond the disturbance when the gas leak was reported, and they diverted their attention to evacuating the motel.

BPD stressed that the actions taken by the two men and the young woman were among many of the circumstances that may have led to the explosion. The meter, the pipes and all other mechanical and physical circumstances leading up the explosion more than 30 minutes later are still being investigated by the Bremerton Fire Department, Bremerton Police, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The names of the persons involved are not being released by police this time. The entire file will be referred to the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office, and any decisions on possible criminal charges would be made by that office. The entire investigation may take weeks or months to be completed.

“There is much more work to be done, but we wanted to address this particular report as soon as possible because so many people were affected by this explosion,” said Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan.

“Our detectives will continue to work with our colleagues at the fire department and ATF to bring some closure to this case.”