'Huge Loss': Firestone Honors Victims Of House Explosion
FIRESTONE, Colo. (CBS4) - Tuesday marks a year since a home explosion in Firestone claimed the lives of two men.
Mark Martinez and his brother-in-law Joey Irwin were inside a house located in the Oak Meadows neighborhood and were working on the water heater when the explosion happened on April 17, 2017.
Two others in the home were also injured, including Mark's wife Erin.
Martinez was employed by the city. In a ceremony in Firestone Tuesday morning, Erin attended a ceremony that honored his life and Irwin's life and also paid tribute to the work of city staff in the year since the tragedy.
"On April 17 of last year we lost two men we knew well. It was a huge loss, but in the face of that enormous loss we have seen what Firestone is and what it has always been -- a community that comes together both in life's celebrations and its challenges," said Firestone Mayor Bobbi Sindelar.
Sindelar said Martinez and Irwin were "community members that embodied the very best of who we are."
Investigators determined the cause of the explosion and fire was gas from an uncapped line from a nearby existing well.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is the owner of the well and says they will permanently remove three wells from the neighborhood. Those wells are no longer in operation.
RELATED: 1st Anniversary Of Firestone Explosion Nears; Residents Want More Action
