Public meeting Monday to detail 'controlled burn' of Louisville home with explosives inside

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The city of Louisville plans to hold a public meeting Monday to update Highview residents on the planned demolition of a "hoarder" house where officials found more than 20 dangerous chemicals and arrested its owner.

The meeting, planned for 6:30 p.m. Monday at Highview Baptist Church on Fegenbush Lane, is a way for city officials to lay out the plan for those who live around 6213 Applegate Lane, near Outer Loop and Smyrna Parkway. Representatives from Louisville Metro Emergency Services, Louisville Metro Police, the Louisville Fire Department, Fern Creek Fire and EMS, Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, and state and federal partners will be there to lay out the plans and answer neighbors' questions.

"We never knew there was an issue over there. In fact, I thought the house was abandoned," said Joanna Martin, who lives nearby. "I was hoping they could just tear it down and be done."

A demolition order filed by the city lays out the dangerous situation or the home. Filed Aug. 1, it says both the home and the adjacent garage have "known explosives, explosive fumes or vapors or the presence of toxic fume gases, or material ..." It also said that if the buildings were ignited, they'd be in "imminent danger" of collapse, possibly endangering anyone around.

The order said there are more than 20 different chemicals on the property, and the destruction of the buildings "may itself be a dangerous situation."

"There are gallons and tens of gallons of these chemicals and other chemicals on the premises," it said. "It is not safe for any public [sic] and must be under control of Metro for protection until such time that the properties, both primary residence and garage, are demolished, or the dangerous material is neutralized or removed ..."

Marc Hibel, 53, was arrested in connection to the findings. He was indicted Thursday on first-degree burglary, second-degree burglary and wanton endangerment charges. He's being held at Louisville Metro Correction with a $50,000 bond.

Mayor Craig Greenberg said during a news conference Tuesday that experts from several agencies recommended "a planned, monitored, and controlled burn" as the only way to safely dispose of the rest of the hazardous material inside the home. He declared a state of emergency Monday to make sure officials have access to any needed resources as quickly as possible.

"I feel safe now that they're here," said Steven Ward, whose mother lives in the area. "I'm just glad that it's coming to an end, that he's some place where he won't be able to do this again."

The city said in a news release Thursday that the burn will be "meticulously planned and carried out under optimal atmospheric and weather conditions." The earliest the burn would begin is the week of Aug. 14, the city said.

IMAGES | Inside the Highview home where explosives and chemicals were found

Louisville officials are trying to determine the best way to remove hazardous materials from the home on Applegate Lane.

Hibel and another person bought the property in 2004, though he's been the sole owner since 2010. He's received fines from Metro inspectors 21 times in the last three years for property maintenance violations such as junk on site, tall grass and exposed wiring.

Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacqueline Gwinn-Villaroel referred to Hibel's living situation as that of a "hoarder's" during Tuesday's news conference.

"6213 Applegate is an absolute hoarder house and due to the large amount of explosive materials and industrial grade chemicals in a hoarding environment, it is extremely difficult to clear the area safely," she said.

Greenberg said chemicals have been safely removed from the home Hibel was believed to be squatting. However, at the property next door, also owned by Hibel, hazardous materials remain inside, and it's not safe to enter, partly because of the hoard.

The home is surrounded by a fence and will be protected by LMPD personnel and monitoring equipment 24/7.

"It is simply not safe for our specially trained LMPD officials or anyone to manually remove and dispose of all the material inside this home. Future, continued use of robots is not an option given the amount of clutter throughout the house," he said.

Greenberg said if any evacuations nearby are necessary the city will make a place available for people to go. The city plans to reveal those details at Monday's meeting.

City personnel joined police, corrections, EMS and EMA recruits Thursday evening in going door-to-door notifying nearby residents of Monday's meeting. Residents will also be notified via phone calls, texts and other alerts.

The mayor walked around with a pack of fliers, making sure everyone in the area knows what to expect and what to do.

"If we don't get them all tonight, we'll make sure that every neighbor gets a knock on the door gets notice of the community meeting Monday night," Greenberg said Thursday. "Everybody was very understanding, they were supportive and glad they are addressing the situation. They have had challenges with the neighbor over the last 12 years."

Jazmin Perez lives in the area and said she had enough concerns about Hibel that she installed security cameras and began building a fence.

"To have him just walking around here and there, that was the scary part," Perez said, adding that she's watching his house closely. She even scheduled days off to follow the city's next steps.

Space will be limited at the meeting, so only people who live, work or care for individuals in the surrounding area can attend. It will also be streamed live on the MetroTV Facebook page.

For all the latest information from the city on the planned next steps, click here.

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