Investigators Probing Cause of Colorado Blast

Insurance and fire investigators were examining the remains of a building in Breckenridge, Colo., to determine the cause of an explosion that leveled the two-story structure and injured a man.

The man was in a second-story apartment in the building that housed Good Times Adventures. Neil Rosenberger, a battalion chief with the Red, White and Blue Fire District, said it took about four hours to free the man, who was buried up to his chest in debris.

Brian Holt, owner of the business that offers snowmobile and sled-dog tours, said that the man’s name is Brian Mislanski. He worked for the Breckenridge-area business.

Mislanski was the only person in the building. He was flown to St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver.

A hospital spokeswoman said that he was in critical condition as of Sunday.

Fire district spokeswoman Kim Scott said it likely would take several days to determine what caused the explosion.

Holt told the Summit Daily News that Good Times Adventures closed March 30. He said Mislanski was house-sitting for the managers who live in the building’s upstairs apartment.

No nearby buildings were affected. Holt’s 140 sled dogs were in good condition.

Mislanski’s dog was reportedly missing.

Tim Schlis, who was on vacation, told Denver’s KUSA-TV that he was nearby when he heard the blast.

“There was a cloud going up 800 feet, 1,000 feet in the air,” Schlis said. “Big hunks of plywood just flying through the air and we thought somebody had dynamited something ’till we started seeing insulation fly everywhere.”

Schlis said he and his friends walked toward the site but backed off when they smelled natural gas.