Investigators say blast result of failed suicide

An explosion that destroyed half of an apartment building Monday was the result of a failed suicide attempt by the man who was injured the blast, fire investigators said today.

"It was a natural gas explosion created by the occupant of the apartment who tried to take his own life," Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Michael McGilbra, 40, who is in the University Medical Center recovering from second-degree burns to the face, declined to comment on the department's conclusion.

Szymanski said information gathered by investigators, including agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as well fire investigators and inspectors with Southwest Gas, will be taken to the Clark County District Attorney's office.

What charges will be filed, if any, will be determined by the district attorney, Szymanski said.

Fire investigators' conclusion was based on interviews and evidence gathered at the scene.

Szymanski declined to discuss the evidence, other than to say natural gas was "introduced into the apartment and it was ignited."

One thing that caused suspicion, Szymanski said, was that in October, McGilbra had complained of a gas leak and inspectors with the gas company conducted a thorough examination of the lines in the apartment.

"They checked everything out and there were no leaks," he said.

The explosion occurred Monday afternoon at La Fiesta apartment complex, 1492 N. Lamb Blvd.

Gas company spokesman Roger Buehrer said no leaks were found.

"We tested for several hours on Tuesday and found all the equipment was in good working order," Buehrer said. "We checked all the lines and appliances inside the building."

McGilbra remains in stable condition at University Medical Center's Burn Unit recovering from second-degree burns to his face and smoke inhalation.

At the site of the blast, shards of glass that had flown up to 100 feet away were cleaned up Tuesday morning, and a 6-foot-tall Cyclone-style "rent-a-fence" was erected to keep onlookers a safe distance from the building.

The fence will remain up and utilities will stay off at the 16-unit building until the investigation is completed, Szymanski said. That should take several days, he said.

Meanwhile, the 65 people that were displaced because of the explosion were trying to get their lives back together and find new places to call home, Realty Management spokesperson Donna Gill said.

The residents are being sheltered at area hotels by the Red Cross until permanent accommodations can be found. Eight families will never be able to return to their apartments, because the damage is so extensive that their former homes will be torn down.

Two families have already been relocated to other apartments at La Fiesta, and two more families are in off-site apartments, Gill said.

Personal items, wallets and car keys have been retrieved for the residents by the fire department.

The personal items were appreciated by the families, but they are more happy that no one was seriously hurt, Gill said.

"Yesterday, the mood was more like, 'I want my belongings, I need this, I need that,' " Gill said. "Tuesday after the residents saw all the damage, it seems like the mood is, 'we are just so lucky we alive, we're so lucky we're OK.' "

Diana Sahagun, Ed Koch and Mary Manning contributed to this story.

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