EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of El Paso said it will begin work to remove debris and the unstable portions of the Sun Metro maintenance facility that was the site of an explosion and fire that killed two people earlier this year.
The work at 10151 Montana Ave. will involve clearing collapsed roof material and taking down severely compromised walls that currently pose a danger to investigators and crews, the City said.
The work to clear debris and stabilize the facility will help support the ongoing investigation into the Feb. 11 fire that severely damaged the facility and injured a handful of people. Two Sun Metro employees — German Garcia and Ruben Ibarra — later died from their injuries.
“This is a critical step in ensuring a safe environment for the investigators working to determine the cause of the fire,” said Deputy City Manager Nicole Cote, who oversees Sun Metro. “The structure is unstable, and without this work, it would be too dangerous to conduct a thorough investigation.”
The fire caused significant structural damage, the City said.
“Progress was delayed in part by the extent of the damage and the need to coordinate closely with structural engineers, insurance providers, and investigators. Required state and federal approvals also took time, and recent high winds and severe weather made it unsafe to proceed sooner.” the City said in its news release.
To protect the integrity of the investigation, the work will be carried out in “carefully managed phases,” the City said.
Given the complexity of the site and safety considerations, the City will determine a completion timeline as the project advances, it added.
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