Airborne asbestos found in burned boulder apartment complex

Boulder, Colorado - Residents of the Boulder apartment complex that burned in a fire early on Monday morning won’t be able to retrieve personal belongings for several more days. According to the Boulder Fire Department, the discovery of asbestos in the building means it’s too dangerous for them to enter. On Tuesday, authorities learned that the results of air samples taken from the burned apartment complex indicated high levels of airborne asbestos are present in the building. Boulder Fire Marshall Dave Lowrey says the results of the tests aren’t surprising, as a property manager at the scene told firefighting crews that he thought the building contained asbestos. Fire fighters quelled the blaze quickly-within around twenty minutes-but despite the small amount of damage done to the building, all the units had to be evacuated so that the air could be tested. During the decades of asbestos use in the twentieth century the substance was often used as a fire proofing and flame retardant material and was added to many different types of construction materials up until the mid 1980s. However, inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause various forms of asbestos cancer and other serious diseases, causing health and safety issues that prevent former residents of the Boulder complex from retrieving their possessions. The hazards of asbestos made it necessary for firefighters to protect themselves from exposure while fighting the blaze. During a fire, asbestos fibers can easily become airborne as they can be spread around by high-pressure water blasts. Fire Marshall Lowrey says that work crews will have to clean up the areas that are contaminated with asbestos, and run more air quality tests before the building can be considered safe enough to allow residents back inside. Initially only six units had been tested, but now that airborne asbestos has been discovered, all of the units must be checked for contamination. Lowrey says that officials hope that samples taken from the undamaged units will come back negative. Some tenants are concerned that they may never be able to retrieve their personal possessions if airborne asbestos is discovered in their apartments. However, Lowrey said most tenants will be able to retrieve all of their possessions, and tenants should eventually be able to return to their apartments permanently. The clean-up work is expected to take several days. Residents may be able to enter the building to retrieve their belongings as early as Friday May 16, as long as test results indicate that it’s safe for them to do so. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)