Investigators Search Through Rubble For Answers

PUEBLO – The investigation continues in Pueblo as crews try to figure out what caused the deadly explosion at the Branch Inn last week. Investigators say they’re considering all possibilities, including the condition of the Branch Inn’s gas line.

Excel Energy says it does annual surveys of all its gas lines and that the gas line at the Branch Inn was checked in April. An Excel spokesman says a small, above ground leak was found at the Branch Inn and repaired.

Now, investigators are searching for answers at the scene. “We work, basically, from the perimeter inward to find where the explosion occurred,” says John Hageman, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“We’ll be doing a little bit by hand shovel and a little bit by crane,” Hageman says of the investigation. Crews brought in heavy equipment Monday morning to help investigators get deeper into the scene.

“It may look like a lot of discarded material,” Hageman says of the rubble, “but often there are a lot of clues in there, so the trained eye really knows how to sift through the material and find what’s pertinent to the investigation.” It’s an investigation into the deadly explosion that rocked Pueblo’s historic downtown.

Agents say soon, everyone will know whether the explosion was a criminal act or just a tragic accident. “The community is grieving over this,” Hageman says, “I think they deserve our best effort and I think they’re getting it.”

ATF agents say they are aware of the building’s history and the last gas line inspection. Investigators say they expect some answers within the next few days.