The Westminster Police Department announced late Friday that there may have been people living inside a home that exploded on Tuesday that had its utilities shut off last spring.

The home in the 7700 block of Knox Court was boarded up and all natural gas and electricity were shut off by Xcel Energy last April after a fire, police said. 

However, several neighbors have told investigators in recent days that it appeared “there may have been individuals occupying the home despite it not having utilities.”

Fire investigators are now trying to determine whether other heating devices were used inside of the home that could have led to the explosion. Police said they have not determined an official cause and will take several more days to figure it out due to the size of the property and hazardous nature of the debris.

Crews were sent to the the home around 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning after reports of an explosion. The body of 51-year-old Duane Cameron Doyle was found in the debris by crews after they were alerted by cadaver dogs.

Stratus Townhomes explosion

Police also provided an update on the second explosion that occurred the following day and said there was a third-party contract team inside building 18 at the time of the explosion. 

According to the release, Stratus Townhomes — located at 8300 Sheridan Blvd — property management has since hired a different contractor to perform inspections of its building to ensure the safety of its residents.

Crews were sent to the townhome complex just before 1:30 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of an explosion. When they arrived, crews saw the eight-unit building was engulfed in flames.

The fire was deemed contained around 2:20 p.m. Two residents and one firefighter sustained minor injuries, police said. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation and is expected to take several weeks due to the large size of the building.