People drawn to Glendale neighborhood after home explosion

GLENDALE -- A home explosion and subsequent fire Saturday in a Glendale neighborhood leveled one home, and severely damaged two others. The site has drawn the attention of both neighbors and strangers, and now, many who live in the area say all the attention is becoming a problem.

Nancy Mack and her friend Emil spent Memorial Day surveying what remains of the home that exploded on Iroquois Ave. in Glendale Saturday evening, May 26th.

"It takes your breath away. It's just unbelievable," Mack said.

The explosion injured the homeowner -- 88-year-old Marvin Engler and a woman described as his very close friend. Both remained hospitalized Monday, in serious condition at Columbia St. Mary's.

Marvin Engler and Shigeko Brooks

Neighbors and strangers have been passing by the house since Saturday's incident -- peering at the piles, taking pictures and presenting traffic problems.

All the wonder is beginning to wear on neighbors, forced to share the street with those not from the area.

"We're starting to wonder if it's going to bring any trouble to the area," one neighbor said.

Ramona Sledge says all the attention is beginning to be something of a nuisance for neighbors.

"As far as this neighborhood, we need to move on and that's what we want to do. We're entitled to that. We're still trying to get through and process all of this," Sledge said.

Nancy Mack and Emil say they sympathize with neighbors looking to restore a sense of normalcy.

"In our lifetime, we've never seen anything like it, so you can't blame us. We've seen a burned down house - but not this fierce," Mack said.

Investigators are expected to be back on the scene Tuesday, May 29th to resume the investigation.

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