Crime & Safety

Investigators: No Evidence of Foul Play in Home Explosion

Investigators were unable to determine a cause of the explosion, but a private sector investigator will continue looking into the Saturday evening incident on behalf of the homeowner's insurance company.

Investigators have finished their probe into the cause of a home explosion on Iroquois Avenue, and they do not believe an intentional act or crime occurred at the scene.

The occurred at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, completely leveling one house and damaged two neighboring houses. An elderly man and a female were transported to Columbia St. Mary's Hospital for injuries, but a hospital spokeswoman said they have requested the hospital not disclose their medical condition.

The investigation was led by North Shore Fire/Rescue, Glendale Police Department, State Fire Marshall’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

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Investigators were unable to determine a specific cause of the home explosion, and now the effort will be picked up by a fire cause and origin investigator retained by Traveler’s Insurance, the homeowner's insurance company. They are expected to be on site Wednesday, according to a news release issued by North Shore Fire/Rescue Chief Robert Whitaker.

“There is a fine line in fire investigations about where the public sector’s responsibility ends and the private sector’s begins,” Whitaker said. “In this case, investigators representing all of the public sector agencies felt that they had reached that line and it was time to allow the insurance company investigators to come in.

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"The private sector investigators bring in the financial resources to retain mechanical engineers and other professionals that can look at appliances and other items in the home that public sector investigators don’t have access to.”

FOX 6: LISTEN TO AUDIO OF THE 911 CALLS

The explosion shook up the quiet residential neighborhood just north of Hampton Avenue on Saturday night, and the site of the explosion has attracted many onlookers with cameras.

In the news release, Whitaker acknowledged that neighbors want to know the cause of the fire, and he said he hopes to maintain open lines of communication with the insurance investigators in the hopes that if they find a cause, it can be shared with the neighbors.


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