No one injured in explosion at Crested Butte South residence

Fire district official urges residents to clear meters

Fire chief Ric Ems is racking his brain. He’s trying to figure out the best way to communicate to the public how important it is to clear out their natural gas meters and propane tanks, before disaster strikes.

And disasters are striking throughout the valley. On Monday, April 7, Crested Butte Fire Protection District volunteers responded to an explosion on Blackstock Avenue in the Crested Butte South subdivision caused by a natural gas meter sheared off below the emergency shut-off valve. No one was injured in the blast, but Ems says the incident put volunteer firefighters at risk.
According to Ems, natural gas had been leaking into the unoccupied home for some time when an unknown source ignited and caused a large explosion and fire. An ignition can be something as benign as the telephone ringing or a boiler switching on. Ems says the force of the blast destroyed a large upstairs window of the home and “blew the bedroom door totally down the hallway.”
The resulting fire spread horizontally through the floor joists between the first and second story of the home, a fire that wasn’t immediately visible. “It was very hard to detect at first,” Ems says.
The house, which is one half of a duplex, suffered considerable smoke and water damage and is now condemned until damage is assessed.
Ems says the incident is not the first natural gas leak that’s drawn firefighters’ attention recently. Of 90 service calls since January 1, 47 have been related to natural gas and propane leaks.
Atmos Energy public affairs manager Kevin Kerrigan says most leaks reported outside are due to the large snow-load in the Crested Butte area. The company is urging residents to clear out their gas meters and piping to avoid dangerous situations like the one that occurred in Crested Butte South. This week, Atmos sent a letter to all natural gas customers asking them to clear their meters and piping.
According to Kerrigan, the gas meter is typically a battleship gray colored box, approximately 18 inches wide and two feet tall, located on the outside of the home. The meter has several dials on top that the company uses to ascertain gas usage. That meter, piping and surrounding area needs to be completely free from snow and ice.
Ems says neighbors had smelled natural gas in the area on Sunday, prior to Monday’s incident.
Kerrigan reminds people that anytime they smell gas, they should contact Atmos Energy at (866) 322-8667. “We take every gas odor called in by customers very seriously,” Kerrigan says. If a resident is inside the home when they detect the odor, they should exit the home immediately and contact the gas company. “Outside the home, you do the same thing,” Kerrigan says.