Asbestos Experts Continue to Test Apartment Building
Testing and re-testing of the air in a Boulder apartment building continues this week, about 10 days after the building suffered a serious fire that left many tenants without a place to call home.
According to an article in the Boulder Daily Camera, environmental experts were back at the Hill House Apartments on Monday to test the air for asbestos levels and fire officials told the 50 or so displaced tenants that it could be a while before they are allowed back into their apartments.
“We will make a determination as soon as we know how bad it is,” said Boulder fire marshal Dave Lowrey, indicating that they will need to wait for this current batch of air testing results before making a decision.
After the blaze on July 12, clean-up crews determined the place was uninhabitable because they found asbestos in the drywall mud at the scene.
“The scene has been turned over to the property management company and insurance company,” Lowrey said, noting that testing and cleanup have been ongoing since the fire, which is believed to have been sparked by a careless smoker.
A similar fire occurred at the Holly Apartments in Boulder on May 11, also creating concerns about asbestos contamination. To date, the tenants who were displaced in that particular fire have not been allowed to return to their apartments.
