THORNTON — A community meeting Wednesday night to discuss a house explosion that killed a man last month took an unexpected turn when Thornton police annouced that the home’s gas line was intentionally tampered with before the blast.
Thornton Police Chief Randy Nelson said the house was likely filling up with gas for an hour to two and one-half hours before the explosion.
He said a flexible gas line was intentionally removed and a pair of pliers was found near the furnance.
The body of 59-year-old Gary Lee Pine was found in the basement of the home at 13072 Monroe Drive after the explosion on June 19.
Two other residents of the home — Sarah and Kevin Smith — were not home at the time of the blast.
Police said the investigation is continuing.
“We’re waiting on the toxicology report on Mr. Gary Pine, and that will bring us to make a decision in terms of how this (happened).,” Nelson said.
Nelson also made a point to say that while many residents speculated the explosion was caused by a meth lab or a failed attempt to extract marijuana oil, there were no drug operations found.
Mike Van Dyke from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the exploded house contained asbestos in the popcorn-style ceiling, and the explosion spread it throughout the neighborhood.
Van Dyke said there’s no way to know how much asbestos people have been exposed to, but there was 4 percent asbestos in the vicinity and state regulations kick in at one percent.
The blast cold be heard for miles and left a pile of rubble. Pieces of debris were scattered on neighboring homes’ roofs. Pink bits of insulation hung in shrubs and trees a block away. Some homes in the area are still uninhabitable.
About 200 people attended the neighborhood meeting at Stargate Charter School, 3951 Cottonwood Lakes Blvd.,
