FIRESTONE, Colo. — Anadarko Petroleum said Wednesday it will permanently shut down the gas well it owns that was linked to a fatal home explosion and fire in Firestone that killed two men last month.
Two other wells in the neighborhood where the April 17 explosion occurred in the 6300 block of Twilight Avenue will also be shut down, the company said.
Investigators said the explosion was caused by unrefined, odorless natural gas from a cut 1-inch pipeline that was severed.
The line was believed to be abandoned, but investigators said it was still connected to a nearby well.
Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin were killed in the explosion that leveled the home, and Martinez’s wife Erin was severely injured.
Anadarko said the three wells are believe to be safe but it’s shutting them down because of the “special circumstances and sensitivity surrounding this equipment.”
The company also said it will pay for natural gas detectors for residents near the explosion.