Residents assess damage after blast

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Homeowners were back at Richmond Hill on Wednesday assessing the damage from an explosion that leveled some homes and damaged around 80.

Insurance agents were working with homeowners to do damage assessments, while some residents have returned to homes with less significant damage.

"More houses have been cleared for families to re-enter their homes and begin the process of repair and reconstruction. That has been a coordinated effort through the Department of Code Enforcement. They have worked very hard to try to get these families access to their homes as quickly as possible," said Indianapolis Fire Department spokeswoman Rita Burris.

RICHMOND HILL MAP | Click here for a color-coded map of the neighborhood.

Only limited access is still in place for families with homes in the yellow area. Residents can enter the homes to take out items, but they’re unable to stay.

Engineers have been assessing homes in the orange zone to determine how to stabilize them. They’re houses that have structural damage. Since the explosion, a number of the homes have settled, making the houses increasingly unsafe. Families, insurance agents and contractors are barred from the homes until they have been stabilized and deemed safe.

The Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday that investigators suspect natural gas was the cause of the explosion and they’re looking into home appliances. The investigation is ongoing, with about 20 investigators from various agencies working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.