More Explosive Gases Detected in Ellison Bay
There’s a massive setback tonight in the effort to reopen Ellison Bay.
“We began detecting some carbon monoxide and eventually some gases that are of the explosive nature,” said Door County Sheriff, Terry Vogel.
Investigators discovered the high levels of gasses late Tuesday night.
It’s the same area where several explosions early Monday morning destroyed three buildings.
Two people died and several more were hurt.
Investigators were hoping by this afternoon to have the Pioneer store torn down. That was the building right along highway 42 that was destroyed in the explosions. They also hoped to have the road reopened.
Instead, they were forced to expand the evacuation area and halt any demolition because of rising gas levels.
Just when they thought they were making progress, the detection of high levels of explosive gasses last night again forced the evacuation of Ellison Bay.
“We had allowed them to come back in for a short period of time. Once the gasses began to develop again yesterday, we moved them back, we got them out of the area,” Vogel said.
This latest development has not haulted the initial investigation into what caused the explosions Monday morning, but Sheriff Vogel says they’re now challenged with figuring out why high levels of gas that weren’t detected for most of the day yesterday, are back today.
“We’re trying to make some determinations if it’s continuing to spread. We may end up having a greater evacuation area if it does.”
As they try to make that determination, investigators are still working on whether propane gas or something else caused Monday’s explosions.
“We’re still investigating that source, still eliminating some, and we just don’t have that answer for you at this point.”
Article originally appeared here.