ATF Investigation 60-Percent Complete
PUEBLO – Federal investigators are done sifting through 60-percent of the Branch Inn rubble. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents continue to search the evidence for a cause to Thursday afternoon’s explosion. The ATF special agent in charge gave a very short briefing to the Pueblo City Council Monday night.
“Was it natural gas or was it methane or a combination of the both?” asked Pueblo City Councilman Ray Aguilera.
“We have to go into these things with a very unbiased, open-minded approach and let the evidence speak for itself,” says ATF Special Agent in Charge Richard Chase.
Chase heads up the ATF’s Denver Field Division, which includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. He’s overseeing the ATF investigation in Pueblo.
“We’re moving along at a very good pace, we’re now getting into a broad area of origin where we’ll probably be slowing down the process,” says Chase. “Hopefully within the next 24-to-48 hours, we will have completed that process.”
Heavy equipment has moved some of the Branch Inn rubble across the street, so investigators can look at the bottom of the debris.
“As we start getting into areas that concern us, we’ll start slowing down,” says Chase.
“As far as a specific area in the Branch Inn, that’s the other 40-percent that’s the unknown right now,” says Pueblo Fire Chief Chris Riley.
Firefighters were in the middle of the evidence soon after the explosion. Four hours after the blast, firefighters dug Gino Roney out of the rubble.
“To save a life, sometimes we have to move bricks. We do our best to not disturb evidence, but our number one priority is life rescue,” says Riley. “We do whatever we have to do to save lives and in the process of doing that, to minimize the moving of evidence as much as we can.”
ATF agents have already interviewed 80 victims, witnesses and emergency responders. Firefighters have explained what evidence they may have moved during the rescue operation. Investigators have also watched the explosion caught on a surveillance tape from across the street.
Many rumors are still circulating through the downtown community. Residents and business owners want to know the cause of the explosion and have theories ranging from accidental to criminal.
“We will put all those rumors to rest,” says Pueblo Police Chief Jim Billings. “If we hadn’t brought in ATF and we just did kind of a lackadaisical job, which we would never do, but if we did, the rumors would go forever.”
“A good majority of the events that we work, ultimately turn out to be accidental,” says Chase.
If ATF agents are done with the rubble by Wednesday, all downtown streets could re-open by Friday. The intersection of Union and C Streets remains closed.
To help with health and safety concerns, firefighters spray the rubble with water every morning and afternoon.
“One of our fire engines goes out to the scene and takes a fog nozzle and creates a mist over that pile to prevent any dust or contaminates from flying in the air and affecting public safety health,” says Riley.
