Speaking on the Calgary Eyeopener Tuesday, Fire Chief Steven Dongworth said investigators currently believe the blast was caused by an issue involving natural gas, although he noted that the full investigation will not be completed for weeks.
"We need to examine the equipment from the basement and come up with a scenario with what actually led to [the explosion]," he said.
The equipment to be examined includes the furnace, the hot water tank and any other gas appliances, Dongworth said. He added that fire officials will speak with the victims about what they smelled or saw prior to the blast.
When asked if there was evidence of a meth lab in the basement, the fire chief said there was none.
LISTEN | Fire chief discusses Marlborough house explosion
A house explosion in Marlborough sent ten people to hospital yesterday. Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth joins us with the latest.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene on Maryvale Way N.E. in minutes, aiding 10 people who were seriously hurt and battling large flames that engulfed the wreckage of the home. One of the victims was found hanging from a blown-out window.
Ambulances brought the victims, all of whom were adults, to nearby hospitals for treatment. Six suffered injuries that were considered life-threatening. Most of the victims were believed to have been inside the home that exploded.
After extinguishing hotspots in the basement, firefighters were able to search for any further casualties.
"I'm glad to report that we didn't find any," Dongworth said.
As of Tuesday morning, there's been no update from Alberta Health Services as to the conditions of the victims.
Rose Kadri, a neighbour, said that the home that blew up was rented out room-by-room.
The explosion severely damaged two next-door homes, sparking fires in both of them. The homes will need to be assessed before their occupants can return. Authorities are currently assisting those residents with housing.
Remnants of the blown up home were flung throughout the neighbourhood, and eight other homes in the area sustained damage from debris. This damage, however, was not enough to force people from their homes.
The fireball from the blast was captured by surveillance cameras at nearby Marlborough Mall. The footage, which was shared with CBC News, showed the explosion reaching well above the tree tops, leaving a plume of black smoke rising into the snow-filled air.
VIDEO | Surviellace footage captures home explosion
Surveillance video sent to CBC News shows a large fireball from a house explosion that took place Monday morning in Marlborough.
In the aftermath of the blast, Enmax shut off power to the area, affecting hundreds of households. Power has since been restored.
Speaking on the Eyeopener, the fire chief noted that explosions involving natural gas are rare and not something Calgarians need to worry about.
"We have thousands of homes in the city of Calgary safely using natural gas," Dongworth said. "This is a very rare occurrence, and obviously something has gone wrong here. There's no question."
He said that if residents smell natural gas in their homes, they should call the fire department immediately to get it checked out.
Coun. Andre Chabot, who represents Ward 10 and is currently in Vancouver, said his heart goes out to the victims and their relatives.
"Whatever the [investigation's] findings are, we have to ensure that we take every measure possible to ensure this doesn't happen again," he said.
