Environmental officials now say that residents of a Boulder apartment building that suffered a fire a few weeks ago may not be able to return to their homes until August because state health officials found asbestos in the walls of many of the units.

According to a story aired on MyFox Colorado, representatives from the state department of health have told residents of the complex that it may be 12 to 15 weeks before they can move back into their units. They were advised to remove their belongings last weekend or risk not being able to gain entry into their apartments again for at least six weeks.

The management company for the apartment building has now told tenants that they may opt out of their leases. Many of the tenants were college students from the nearby University of Colorado at Boulder. Because school had just let out before the fire, many of the apartments were unoccupied for the summer.

A spokesperson for the complex says that a bush outside the building caught fire and spread to the structure and damaged seven units in the complex which has 31 units. Asbestos was an immediate concern after post-fire inspections revealed asbestos dust covering furniture and other belongings inside some of the units.

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