Hurricane-force winds expected to reach 90 mph in Nederland on Wednesday are spreading ash and debris from a fire that raged through the town center in October, intensifying residents’ concerns about toxic compounds in the debris and the health risks they pose.
Testing showed the pile of twisted metal and ash from the Oct. 9 Caribou Village Shopping Center fire contained no elevated chemical levels and met applicable safety standards, town officials said.
Still, Boulder County public health officials warned residents Wednesday that the debris could become airborne and advised people with respiratory conditions to leave the area.
“Cloth masks and surgical masks do not protect against fine ash,” health officials said in an advisory.
Residents were urged to keep windows closed during high winds, use HEPA air purifiers indoors and replace furnace filters if they appeared dirty.
Officials said residents should avoid disturbing ash or debris, remove their shoes before going into their homes — to limit tracking debris inside — and wear an N95 mask.
While the toxins aren’t at elevated levels, flying debris could injure someone if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Nederland town manager Jonathan Cain said.
Tests did not show asbestos in the charred remnants of the two-story shopping center, a sprawling wooden structure that was built around 1984, but Cain said officials couldn’t get into every part of the building to test. The town also tested the water treatment plant right after the fire was out and continuously since then and there have been “no elements of concern.”
“I’m not trying to say there’s nothing, it just doesn’t appear there’s anything,” Cain said.
After the fire, the site’s owners put up fencing around the area while insurance investigations, environmental assessments and permitted processes continue.
Demolitions crews were scheduled to arrive Monday, but postponed after the site’s owner, Tebo Properties, was unable to get the go-ahead from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said James Dixon, the company’s CEO. Dixon said CDPHE requested additional testing.
Nederland officials will issue the demolition permit once state health officials sign off.
“We’re stuck in the red tape with the state of Colorado with CDPHE. It’s quite annoying,” Dixon said.
The state typically steps in to ensure there isn’t asbestos or dangerous materials prior to demolition. Dixon said testers took 75 samples and found no signs of asbestos.
“Usually, you can go through a building and test it when it didn’t burn and you can get flooring, wall, drywall, ceiling. … You can get everything because you can just walk around and get it,” Dixon said. “The building is literally in a big pile, so we tested 75 spots, every spot we could physically get to the building. Now we’re stuck in this no man’s land of ‘well, hey, you didn’t test the floor on the first floor.’”
Dixon said his company is paying security around the site 24/7 and recognizes the hazards the site poses.
“It’s no good to have it sitting up there,” he said.
“It’s super unfortunate. We’re trying to call in some favors from the governor. We absolutely need somebody’s help to get out of this bureaucracy,” he added.
Zachary Aedo, a spokesperson for CDPHE, said the state denied the asbestos inspection submitted with the demolition application because it was “limited in scope” and “did not fully characterize the building, as required by state and federal law.”
“The owner has the option to conduct a more comprehensive asbestos inspection or proceed by treating the building as asbestos-containing. Once the application is complete and compliant, we can review it again,” Aedo said in an email.
Early findings from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives did not reveal any evidence that the fire was intentionally caused. The federal investigation, along with investigations by the tenants’ insurance carriers, can impede cleanup efforts.
“It’s in limbo,” Dixon said. “And kind of what they’re telling us is they said it could be months.”