The two men have been identified.
Mark Joseph Martinez and Joseph William Irwin III, both 42, were killed. Their bodies were found in the ruins of the home on Tuesday after search crews spent hours scouring the destruction.
The explosion and quickly led to a massive blaze at the two-story home on the 6300 block of Twilight Avenue, near Colorado 119 and Weld County Road 13. A woman identified as Erin Martinez — wife of Mark Martinez — was airlifted from the scene and a juvenile male was taken for medical care in an ambulance.
Erin Martinez and the boy were inside or near the home when the explosion occurred. The boy is OK, officials said.
Statement from Frederick/Firestone Protection District spokesperson: 2 bodies found in home
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Erin Martinez has been a science and physics teacher at Mountain Range High School in Westminster since 2007. The Adams 12 School District said she was flown to a hospital and is in critical condition and that her brother and husband were believed to have been in the home. Irwin apparently was Erin Martinez’ brother.
Public records indicate the home is owned by Erin and Mark Martinez.
“Autopsies have been completed, with the results expected in four to six weeks,” the Weld County Coroner’s Office said in a news release. “No further information will be available until that time.”
Ben Chapman told that he rushed to the home after the explosion.
“I found the lady in the back, with the roof pinning her down on her back,” he said. “And the construction guys were right there, so they plowed right through the fence with the forklift and started raising up the roof. It wasn’t really working though so we had to dig in, ripping pieces of wood out.”
He said he used a hose at the neighbor’s house to do what he could to douse the flames and then noticed burns on his arms.
Donna Bezdek was working in her home around the corner when the explosion happened.
“I thought someone came in and slammed a door and was stomping everywhere,” she said. “I heard the boom and saw the smoke. Black smoke. It was pretty much gone, the house.”
Bezdek said she saw “tons of people and the fire trucks” racing to the scene. Another neighbor told The Denver Post the house had collapsed in on itself.
Television news helicopter images from the scene on Monday showed firefighters spraying water into the smoking remnants of the house. It appeared as if neighboring homes were damaged as well, with smoke billowing from a nearby rooftop.
By about 6 p.m., all that was left of the home was a smoldering crater filled by debris. Three fire departments had been called to the scene.
It’s not clear what caused the explosion and fire investigators say it could be several days, if not weeks, before they know.
Although investigators don’t believe criminal activity led to the explosion, whatap left of the home is being treated as a crime scene, Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District spokeswoman Summer Campos said.
