The Peoria Fire Department has confirmed that all four of its firefighters are out of the hospital after a battery managed by Arizona Public Service exploded in Surprise back in April. 

Deputy Chief Rob Brewster told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday that firefighter Jake Ciulla had returned to work while firefighter Matt Cottini, Capt. Hunter Clare and Engineer Justin Lopez were still at home and undergoing physical therapy.

Cottini, Clare and Lopez were rushed to Maricopa Medical Center after the explosion left them with severe chemical burns on April 19. Ciulla was taken to a West Valley hospital.

Brewster declined The Republic’s request to interview the firefighters about their experience, citing the ongoing investigation. 

The Surprise Fire Department released its first report on the incident last week, though investigators still are working to determine the explosion’s cause. 

SCANT DETAILS: Report on Surprise APS battery explosion offers few answers

The 21-page document is mostly made up of dispatch reports documenting the type of unit sent to the facility, with a half-page “primary narrative” that lays out what happened before the explosion.

APS posted an update regarding the incident on its website last week, where it described the investigation as “methodical” for safety purposes and promised to share what it could of the ultimate findings. 

The company said it has discharged all but one of the site’s 378 battery modules and that various components have been sent to a lab in Scottsdale for further analysis. It will then send the components to a forensics lab in Michigan that specializes in battery systems.

“Results from both the forensic analysis and the work to model factors that led to the failure are expected in September,” the company added.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

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