Web Video
Preventing Gas Fueled Fires
Preventing Gas Fueled Fires
The man who escaped alive but dazed and burned over 90 percent of his body after a house explosion in Elmira, remained hospitalized, in guarded condition Thursday night.Curt Perry was home when the house exploded early Tuesday morning in Elmira's Southside. Perry was on fire but doused the flames by jumping into a swimming pool.The Elmira house explosion and another house fire sparked by gas fumes in Apalachin could have been prevented, had a few precautions been taken. Investigators Apalachin say gasoline vapors ignited by a water heater set 378 Summit Hill Road ablaze, sending four people to the hospital with serious burns.In Elmira, while it may be weeks until they find what leveled the home on Elmira's Southside, firefighters say the owner of the home turned on the stove to light a cigarette, heard two clicks and then boom.Captain Alan Gardiner of the Binghamton Fire Department says while every gas related fire is different, the consequences are all the same.?Propane gases will gather on floor levels where there will be a lot ignition sources like pilot lights for water heaters. Natural gas will tend to collect in the higher levels like ceilings where you have ignition sources like light bulbs or anything that can cause a spark,? says Gardiner.Gardiner says such situations should be a reminder of preventative safety.?First and foremost you have to have a carbon monoxide detector, smoke detector and fire extinguishers. And appliances that are run by propane and natural gas should be serviced by a certified technician once year,? says Gardiner.And taking those extra precautions could mean stopping a blaze before it starts
Web Video | July 5, 2007
