PALISADE, Colo. — A large explosion that destroyed a six-unit apartment building and killed an 18-year-old woman last week in Palisade was intentionally set, authorities said on Wednesday.
The explosion happened Friday morning at 920 Iowa Ave. in the Western Slope town. The building was fully engulfed in flames. One person was confirmed dead: Kloey Weythman, 18, of Palisade.
On Wednesday, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office said that a resident of the building, Andrew Alderman, 29, started the fire intentionally. Investigators found signs of an accelerant in his ground-floor apartment and found that the explosion was the result of a high volume of vapors from the accelerant.
Lab results will determine the exact type of chemical accelerant that was used, the sheriff's office said.
Investigators had found what the sheriff's office called disturbing videos posted to Alderman's social media account indicating that he was responsible for the fire. Authorities on Friday tracked his cellphone to an area outside of Leadville, where Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies found that he had killed himself.
"We recognize this is a horrible tragedy and an immensely difficult time for Kloey Weythman’s loved ones and that so many questions remain unanswered," the Mesa County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. "This investigation remains active and ongoing as investigators are committed to figuring out the reason behind this senseless act."
All displaced residents were provided with temporary housing. The Town of Palisade and the American Red Cross collected gift cards and monetary donations for the victims of the fire.
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