Discovery of hazardous materials at Louisville house followed years of code violations

The owner of the Highview "hoarder's house" that Louisville Metro officials plan to burn down had received more than a dozen code enforcement citations before explosives were discovered inside last month.

That's because inspectors could only look at the exterior of Marc Hibel's home, said Caitlin Bowling, a spokeswoman for the city's codes and regulations department. Therefore hazardous materials inside − including picric acid, an explosive more powerful than TNT − were unknown to city officials until Louisville Metro Police and federal agents entered the home July 27.

Hibel, a 53-year-old chemist, has been charged with wanton endangerment and first- and second-degree burglary. City officials say they plan to raze his home at 6213 Applegate Lane in a controlled burn on a yet-to-be-determined date and that it could cause the evacuation of 900 homes, affecting about 2,000 residents.

Why burn the house down?

The controlled burn is necessary because it is a "hoarder's house," Mayor Craig Greenberg said Tuesday. Officials would not have been able to safely move around the residence to remove the hazardous materials, especially while wearing bulky personal protective gear.

The picric acid has already been disposed of, LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said. A police spokesperson said a device also was destroyed in a controlled detonation, and the city now has the home "under constant surveillance," Greenberg said. The home is cordoned off with fencing and caution tape.

There had been more than 20 property maintenance site visits to Hibel's residence between Jan. 1, 2020, and the chemicals' discovery, Metro Code Enforcement documents show. In the visits, inspectors noted the presence of exposed wires, trash in the yard and uncut grass. The reports also included that the gutter, downspout and retaining wall were in need of repair.

One report on April 28 said, "We thought (Hibel) was homeless and squatting here at this address." The comments go on to say officials warned Hibel he would have to clean up his yard, "otherwise he would continue to get citations and possible court action or foreclosure."

According to the report, Hibel responded that he had just gotten out of the hospital and would begin the repairs soon. He had received over 15 citations prior to this.

The code violations persisted over the following months.

Bowling said Hibel accumulated $12,206 in fines and fees for violations at 6213 Applegate Lane. He also racked up an additional $9,062 in fines and fees for the "spillover" damages at 6211 Applegate Lane, the abandoned house next door that Hibel was believed to have used. (Greenberg said the latter address already has been cleared of chemicals.)

Prior to the discovery of the chemicals, the city was not in the process of foreclosing the house, she said. Instead, officials were hoping that Hibel would fix the violations and that the residence would become compliant again.

"We really don't like to foreclose an occupied house," Bowling said. "Ultimately, we want to be able to work with the property owner."

When will the house be burned?

Once LMPD officers received tips from residents, they entered Hibel's home and discovered the chemicals.

Greenberg has said a controlled burn will not occur before the week of Aug. 14. But in the meantime, "this structure and its contents are more secure now than they have been over the past several years," he said.

City officials will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Highview Baptist Church, 7711 Fegenbush Lane for neighbors to get information about the investigation and possible evacuation.

The city will conduct computer simulations to determine how large a possible explosion might be and where the plume of chemicals may travel. In "all likelihood" there will be a "localized and temporary" evacuation, Greenberg has said.

Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @ellie_mccrary.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Highview house controlled burn: Hibel was cited for code violations