Police find no foul play in Chandler print shop explosion

Natural gas leak caused explosion in Chandler, ATF officials say

The explosion, which happened at a print shop near Ray and Rural Roads, resulted in four injuries, including a man who was at a different business when the explosion happened.

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Police say no foul play was found in an explosion at a Chandler print shop that injured four people.

The explosion happened on the morning of Aug. 26 at Platinum Printing located near Ray and Rural Roads.

Multiple agencies, including Chandler Police and Fire, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Southwest gas, investigated the fuel-air explosion.

The incident drew a huge response, with about 50 emergency vehicles and over 100 personnel from seven different agencies.

"The findings by the ATF National Response Team and investigative partners determined that the explosion was caused by an unintentional natural gas leak ignited by an independent ignition source," an ATF spokesman said.

The aftermath of an explosion in Chandler.

Officials with Southwest Gas have released a statement, which reads, in part:

"Southwest Gas is committed to determine the facts behind the unintentional gas leak, which investigators have cited as a contributing factor to this incident. We are also committed to immediately implementing any operational enhancements resulting from the investigation."

Of the four victims, three of them – Andrew Ryan, 39, Dillon Ryan, 29, and Parker Milldebrandt – were inside the print shop at the time of the explosion. The fourth victim, 58-year-old Glenn Jordan, was inside a nearby eyeglass repair business.

"How did it happen? What did Southwest Gas know had there been previous reports or problems? There's at least one report of a gas leak from about three years ago in the area and was southwest gas made aware of it? Did they respond?" asked Tom Ryan, an attorney representing three of the victims.

All four victims reportedly suffered burns ranging from 16% to 30% of their bodies and required surgery and extended hospital stays, but their injuries could have been worse considering the extent of the damage. They are expected to recover.

"They’re left without a job a source of income. They've been horribly disfigured, injured and burned. They’ve done a lot of damage to these little families. It’s important to hold Southwest Gas accountable," Ryan said.

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.