Fire And Ice: Westminster Townhomes Damaged In Explosion Now Frozen Over
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - On Wednesday, firefighters battled raging flames after an explosion at a townhome complex in Westminster. On Thursday, the damage was coated with a layer of ice, creating an extra challenge for investigators.
Thursday morning, investigators returned to search the area to see if they could determine the cause of the explosion.
The roof was blown off and half of the building is gone -- impacting eight units.
"I was getting something to eat and I heard a big boom so I came out and the whole side of the building was blown off man," said resident James Squalls.
Nearly two dozen people had to evacuate. Fortunately everyone has been accounted for.
Two people and a firefighter suffered minor injuries.
"They were kicking doors down and we were breaking windows just to make sure that nobody was in there, pets were safe," said another resident, Jeffrey Garcia. "We could hear barking and we could hear people but we didn't know what was going on."
Westminster fire officials said the investigation into the cause of the explosion will take an extended period.
The ATF will be assisting.
CBS4 asked Xcel Energy about the explosion. On Thursday, officials said safety checks show there were no problems with their system.
"Xcel Energy crews worked with our public safety partners to help ensure the area is safe," officials stated. "We completed our safety checks and found our system was working as designed at the time of the incident. We will continue to work with fire officials on the investigation into the cause of the incident."
