CHANDLER, Ariz. — A Chandler business is reopening in early February after an explosion near Ray and Rural Roads forced it to close two and a half years ago.
All-American Eyeglass Repair sat in the same strip mall as Platinum Printing, where the explosion occurred on August 26, 2021. A mislabeled and overlooked gas pipe known to leak in hot climates is believed to be the culprit of the explosion.
Now, the business is returning to the same suite.
"We were two months shy of being in business in this location for 20 years," General Manager and Owner at All-American Eyeglass Repair, Glenn Jordan, said. "So this is... this is home. When you go someplace that often, you want to go back there."
Jordan said he was early to work, as he often was, on the day of the explosion.
"We opened up at 10. It hit at 9:23. I'm probably not standing more than two feet away from where I was," Jordan said while speaking to 12News inside the fixed-up space. "We had a counter — I remember I put my cell phone on speaker to call a gentleman back and halfway through my introduction to him is when the blast hit."
In total, four men suffered burns from the explosion in August 2021. Jordan said he has second and third-degree burns to 40% of his body. Initially after arriving at the hospital, Jordan said he spent 26 days in an induced coma.
"It did affect my voice, so it's not nearly as strong. Now I do have a collapsed right vocal cord," Jordan said.
Despite his injuries, Jordan is quick to look on the bright side of the situation.
"It wasn't the feet. So there's things I looked at - that made me mobile. I was able to get around. So we worked with the positives that we had to say, 'Okay, let's get better this way,'" Jordan said.
Through recovery and therapies, Jordan worked to regain the use of his hands, essential to repairing glasses.
"I'm really lucky," Jordan said.
Now, he's ready to return to work in the same location. The All-American Eyeglass Repair location is reopening on February 5th.
"It makes us extremely happy and grateful," Jordan said.
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