Toronto residents forced from their homes after a massive propane blast last week could see some assistance from the province, according to Ontario's premier.

Premier Dalton McGuinty said Monday he is open to the idea of giving the residents some help with repairing some of the damage caused to them because of the explosion.

"I said to (Deputy Mayor) Shelley Carroll, let's find a way to help the community, and if there is something that we might be able to assist in, we remain open to that," he said.

"I didn't get into any specifics, but I just said that if we can help, you should call upon us and we'll take a look at it."

The blast occurred just before 4 a.m. on Aug. 10 at a facility called Sunrise Propane Industrial Gases in the Keele Street and Wilson Avenue area, northwest of the city. The explosion was so powerful, it was heard and felt several kilometers away.

More than 1,000 people had to evacuate their homes. Many of them were kept from coming back to their houses for most of the week after officials found traces of asbestos in the air.

However, city officials said Monday that recent asbestos testing found that residents are no longer in danger and that a cleanup of the area is progressing well.

About 128 properties, including a park and community centre have been cleared of debris, Carroll said.

Police allowed two more families to return to their homes Monday. Two addresses on Murray Road -- numbers 57 and 63 -- were released to the residents but not before police warned them to walk through their homes and assess any safety concerns.

The houses are located adjacent to the blast site. Only one other home remains closed off to its owners.

McGuinty was in China promoting Ontario's bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games when the blast occurred on Aug. 10. However, he toured the area on Sunday and said he was frightened by what he saw.

"Just being there and seeing the windows blown out and the garage doors blown off and the roofs torn away...just through the grace of God this happened at 4 a.m.," he said. "What if families had been on the sidewalk?"

Insurance adjustors and structural engineers were on site Monday speaking with homeowners.

Despite last Sunday's explosion, residents of the neighbourhood say they have no desire to move out of the community.

"You set your boundaries, you set your life up, you get used to the area, you get used to the people -- you don't want to go," said one woman. "I like everybody here, they're great."

Nonetheless, many residents say they are still angry and frustrated at the situation and will stop at nothing to make sure that Sunrise Propane never operates in their midst again.

"It's still unsettling and scary," said one woman speaking at a public meeting Sunday night.

McGuinty said the location of the plant certainly raises questions about where these types of facilities are built. However, he dismissed an idea to disband the Technical Standards and Safety Board, an organization that oversees the province's propane plants.

The TSSA at first wouldn't say if Sunrise had ever been cited for violations but later, the organization revealed the company was given a "cease and desist" order in 2006 for not complying with the rules.

McGuinty said he was "concerned" and that the matter raises a lot of questions.

In the meantime, over the weekend hundreds of residents gathered at the meeting to ask lawyers about what compensation they may be entitled to.

Many of them joined a class-action lawsuit at the lawyers' urging. The suit is against the city, the province and Sunrise Propane.

"This lawsuit is about understanding what you have been through, advocating for you and ensuring justice is done and your stories are told," lawyer Richard Bogoroch said.

Lawyers admitted that it could be months before the case gets to court and years before residents receive any compensation.

McGuinty said class-action lawsuits would only complicate the province's ability to give financial assistance to the affected residents.

With files from The Canadian Press