Hundreds remain displaced after fiery explosion at Aurora apartments
It's hard to miss the evidence of an explosion at the Parkside Collective apartment complex on E Alameda Avenue in Aurora. The explosion forced the entire complex to be evacuated into the rain on Saturday morning. A day later, the American Red Cross spoke to CBS News Colorado and said all 350 residents were still displaced.
Aurora Fire Rescue says over 100 of those people and 25 pets were taken to an emergency center at Gateway High School. That shelter closed Saturday night, and those people were now staying in hotels, thanks to the Red Cross and the apartment's management company.
"At this point in time, nobody has returned home," said John Seward with the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming. "There was a period of time today where folks were given like 10 minutes to grab things they needed from those units, but nobody has been able to return, and that's because firefighters shut off gas, electricity and water."
No one can return home until those utility services are turned back on. Aurora Fire says it's possible some residents could return in the coming days, but at least five families will never be able to. The Red Cross says five of the apartments are completely destroyed.
Aurora fire says the three people who were injured were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. As for the cause of the explosion, Aurora Fire investigators say it's still an open investigation.
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