Questions about blast still smoldering

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Three weeks after a natural gas explosion demolished a Saratoga Springs house and claimed two lives, attorneys and experts gathered at the scene to find answers to one still-smoldering question: Why?

The Feb. 6 explosion took the lives of April Roper, 24, and Larry Radford, 48, about a minute after the two had gone into the house to check on the pilot light of the water heater, investigators speculate. But an uncommon sequence of events up to that point has everyone involved wondering what went wrong — and who is responsible.

"A lawsuit is likely," said Colin King, attorney for the Roper family. "It's not inevitable, but it's certainly likely. Part of my job is to figure out how it happened, why it happened, who's responsible for it — and that's what we're going to be doing."

King was one of about 30 people who came with cameras on Wednesday to peer into the house's basement and document the wreckage.

Also present were explosion experts; fire investigation experts from Utah, Colorado and Indiana; Qwest representatives and attorneys; Questar representatives and attorneys; insurance agents; the original excavator of the Roper home; the home's original heating and air contractor; and family members.

All of the parties came together at 9 a.m., the first time since the Roper's insurance company erected a chain-link fence around the site on Badger Lane weeks ago. Thus far, the investigation has been a collaborative effort.

Questar officials said they have not received a notice from the Roper family about any possible legal action. Company officials still do not know how a leak of natural gas traveled 50 to 70 feet from the main line, where a gas pipe was punctured by a contractor laying fiber-optic lines for Qwest Communications, to the house.

They also do not know why Radford, who was a seasoned Questar employee, would not have detected the extremely high levels of natural gas in the basement with a piece of equipment he had with him.

Questar spokesman Darren Shepherd said he is confident the company responded to contain the leak within an hour after it was reported. However, King alleges, and questions why, the lapse of time was closer to two hours.

"Our response is, we're just working together with all of the parties to figure out what went wrong," Shepherd said.