LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Days after a home exploded in Lake County, fire officials have confirmed that a build up of gas in the kitchen caused it.
Lake County Fire Rescue Chief, Mike Vitta, said the explosion at the home in Mount Dora was an accident.
“You could have a gas buildup secondary to a leak, but to clarify, there was no malfunctions on any of the gas appliances,” Vitta said. “The regulators and all the gas appliances were functioning as intended. There was a valve left open in the kitchen and an ignition source ignited that gas vapor.”
Vitta said there are several ways you can protect yourself and your home if you use gas lines.
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“Things to keep in mind, you never want to leave anything unattended,” Vitta said. “If you’re working at the stove, stay at the stove. If you go to ignite a gas stove and it doesn’t ignite, immediately turn everything off, give it some time, clear the area before you want to try relighting the stove.”
Vitta said you can also look out for the physical signs of gas related issues like if the flame is burning yellow around the burner, if there’s a collect of soot, or if you smell gas. But for some the sniff test may not be the best method.
“About 3% of the population over age 40 actually has no sense of smell,” Vitta said. “But other indicators are also if you’re recently recovering from an illness, a sinus infection, had some dental work or something done like that, it may diminish it a little bit.”
But if you want another layer of protection, Vitta suggests a carbon monoxide and explosive gas detector.
“It’s not going to be carbon monoxide alone – explosive gas will read natural or LP gas and that’ll let you know if it’s getting close to a dangerous limit,” Vitta said.
Vitta says above all else, if you think you’re having an issue, call 911 immediately.
“If you suspect a gas leak, first and foremost report it,” Vitta said. “Either call your gas provider or 911. You want to turn off all your gas devices and you want to refrain from using anything else. You don’t want to turn light switches on and off, cause that could create a spark. You want to leave the area and then ultimately once the hazard is mitigated is have a professional examine your system and make sure it’s working properly.”
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