How To React to a Gas Leak

6/22/2021 (Permalink)

A gas leak can quickly turn into a gas fire or explosion.

While gas delivery systems are very safe, the pipes can still deteriorate and leak with age. A gas leak can quickly turn into a gas fire or explosion. These can quickly burn through your home and cause a lot of damage. If you want to avoid this unpleasant situation, you need to know the signs of a leak and what to do in this emergency.

What To Do if You Smell Gas

The best way to avoid a gas fire is to react quickly to a leak. Typically, you will identify a leak by smelling sulfur or rotten eggs. If you smell gas, you need to do the following:

• Leave the area and get to safety
  
• Call the utility provider and let them know about the leak
  
• Call 911 to notify fire officials
  
• Help others evacuate and stay clear of the area until it is proven safe
  
• Call a fire remediation company to help remove the smell and any potential damage from your home in Cal Poly University-Pomona, CA.
  
  

Other Ways To Identify Gas
Most people identify natural gas by its smell. While the gas itself is odorless, a sulfur-based odorant is added to give it the associated rotten egg smell so it can easily be identified. However, this is not the only way to identify this substance. If you are outdoors, you can often see it. Any gas escaping from an underground pipeline will be recognizable by the discolored soil and dead vegetation around the line. You can also identify a potential gas fire threat in your home by listening. If you hear a high-pitched whistle or hissing noise, there is a chance that this is caused by escaping gas from your pipes.
If you want to avoid a gas explosion or fire, you must react appropriately. Knowing the signs of a leak and what to do in this event can help you avoid devastation.