Asbestos Worry Clouds Clean-Up After Thornton House Explosion
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) - The investigation continued this weekend into why a home in this northern Denver suburb exploded on Thursday.
One man, believed to be in his 60s, died. He hasn't been identified.
On Saturday, investigators in hazmat gear tore through what was left of the home, which contained asbestos. They removed several large appliances that are being sent to the Thornton Police Department.
Four nearby houses were damaged enough to be red-tagged, which means residents had to leave their homes.
"Is my neighborhood safe?" neighbor Ivonne Sierra told CBS4. "When it exploded, there was wood and stuff flying." Some debris hit her sister, causing minor injuries.
Firefighters asked residents to rinse debris from their roofs, cars, driveways and other property.
Tony Lozano, a neighbor who has worked in demolition and asbestos removal for 30 years, said the clean-up trigged worry, noting that there was no air or water monitoring and there were no wind fences around the site.
"You don't find out for years (about the repercussions)," he said. "Thirty years from now is when asbestos shows up."
Investigators said they hope to determine the explosion's cause in a few days.