Newspaper Article

THE RAMSEY EXPLOSION ; Blast victims are mourned as search for clues continues; Some signs point to gas leak, but no answers yet

Walsh, James, Staff Writer

2004

Overview

Jim Holt, who owns Dependable Indoor Air Quality of Coon Rapids, said the building owners had called him Nov. 26 to say they had no heat in the building. A technician looked at the furnace, which had turned off. If a gas furnace gets too hot, the blow motor quits, Holt said. That probably indicates a slightly higher pressure of gas to the furnace than should exist, which trips a sensor and shuts off the furnace. There is no chance that a furnace malfunction would cause this explosion, Holt said. The safety equipment built into the furnace would have shut down the furnace before it would explode, he said. Capt. Rob Bredsten of the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said the law enforcement part of the investigation is just about wrapped up, although crime lab investigators still plan to do some work at the scene. But the brunt of the work now moves to fire and pipeline officials. In addition, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are participating in the investigation, Bredsten said.

• Publisher: Star Tribune Media Company LLC
• Subject: Bredsten, Rob / Holt, Jim / Way, Jim