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Fire officials warn of gas leak dangers following home explosion

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Investigators have not yet determined if a gas leak is to blame for a house fire and explosion in Camby on Monday.

However, they say this is a good time to remind people about precautions you should take if you have gas appliances in your home or business.

Gas leaks can be dangerous and can have devastating consequences.

“If it comes in contact with a flame, and it is the right mixture of gas present, then yeah, it could contribute to a fire or an explosion,” said Chief Joel Thacker with the Fire Territory of Plainfield.

Thacker said there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

“There are a variety of reasons why there are gas leaks in the home or the business. Installing new heating units, whether it is new appliances, we want to make sure that those are installed by professionals so that there’s no accidents with the installation that might contribute to a leak,” said Thacker.

He said calling a professional to come check your furnace or other appliances ahead of winter is also a good idea.

“When you kick those on for the first time of the year there’s going to be probably be some dust in there. You might encounter an odor that smells like there’s something burning. If you smell natural gas, we want you to exit the home immediately,” said Thacker.

He said if you do smell gas, it’s important to leave the home or business before doing anything else, and that includes calling 911.

Another easy way to protect yourself is by installing carbon monoxide detectors.