The fatal apartment complex explosion and fire that ignited Friday in Palisade and killed a teenage girl was started intentionally, police announced Wednesday.
Kloey Weythman, an 18-year-old woman from Palisade, died in the fire and the rest of the residents in the six-unit complex were displaced, according to a Wednesday news release from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies believe an accelerant was used on the fire and traced the origin to apartment one in the complex — rented by 29-year-old Andrew Alderman, the release stated.
As police searched for Alderman on Friday, officers discovered videos posted to his social media account that led them to believe he was responsible for the fire, the release stated.
The explosion was the result of a high volume of accelerant vapors within the apartment, and additional lab results will determine the exact chemical accelerant that was used, sheriff’s officials said in Wednesday’s release.
Investigators tracked Alderman’s phone to an area outside Leadville, hours away from the initial explosion, where they found the man had killed himself, sheriff’s officials said.
The fire was first reported at 7:15 a.m. Friday, and fire crews were on the scene less than 10 minutes later, according to the news release. By 8 a.m. the fire was “mostly out” and fire officials were searching for a suspect.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies found Alderman’s car at Dexter Point near Leadville just before 4 p.m. Friday, the release stated. Shortly after, they found the suspect’s body.
No official cause of his death has been released.
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At this point, all displaced residents have been provided with temporary housing, according to the news release. The Town of Palisade also partnered with the American Red Cross to collect gift cards and monetary donations for the victims of the fire.
Fire crews Clifton Fire Protection District and Grand Junction Fire Department responded to the explosion, along with officials from the Palisade Police Department, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, DeBeque Marshal’s Office and the Colorado State Patrol.
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