Several House Explosions Lately: I Find This To Be Quite Scary

There were more deadly house explosions this year in Ann Arbor, Lansing and Iron River, Michigan, Sterling Virginia, Goodhope, Missouri abd South River, N.J. Tragically these explosions claimed several lives including a firefighter and four people in the Goodhope, Missouri explosion. May they R.I.P. and wishing solace for their families. :cry:
Four people killed in Missouri house explosion

Link to articles about the explosions.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=h...p&summary=1&summary_og=bcaadaeee70bf29d3bb65c
 

I am glad you brought this back up. I live in a home with gas features. The hot water heater, the central heating, gas fireplace, we had gas into the backyard for a grill and a sunken hot tub. I have removed the things out back and capped those lines.

My question is, my electric counter glass cooktop has finally given up the ghost after 26 years. I grew up and learned to cook with a gas stove and it is what I prefer for cooking.

I have not checked yet to see the cost of running gas to the kitchen. I would have them do two possible connects, one for the cooktop and then one for the double oven. The oven right now is electric and not that old. I am not willing to spend that kind of money to replace it when it so called works fine even though I have never been happy with it.

Also to consider is the cost of natural gas which has gone up quite a bit. I have a very good electric rate but there is no shopping on the gas.

The big deal here is most cooks do prefer gas appliances. When I pass, the house will go to the kids. They will choose if they want to live here or to sell. I think the gas kitchen would be good either way, help the sale or give them a great kitchen. What are everyone's thoughts?
 
Blessed said:
I am glad you brought this back up. I live in a home with gas features. The hot water heater, the central heating, gas fireplace, we had gas into the backyard for a grill and a sunken hot tub. I have removed the things out back and capped those lines.

My question is, my electric counter glass cooktop has finally given up the ghost after 26 years. I grew up and learned to cook with a gas stove and it is what I prefer for cooking.

I have not checked yet to see the cost of running gas to the kitchen. I would have them do two possible connects, one for the cooktop and then one for the double oven. The oven right now is electric and not that old. I am not willing to spend that kind of money to replace it when it so called works fine even though I have never been happy with it.

Also to consider is the cost of natural gas which has gone up quite a bit. I have a very good electric rate but there is no shopping on the gas.

The big deal here is most cooks do prefer gas appliances. When I pass, the house will go to the kids. They will choose if they want to live here or to sell. I think the gas kitchen would be good either way, help the sale or give them a great kitchen. What are everyone's thoughts?
Click to expand...
The Health Risks of Gas Stoves Explained

Gas stoves emit unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide
 

Gary O' said:
One blew up in Oregon City, back in the 70s
Right on the bluff
Nothing left
Nat gas leak

Swore off having natural gas
What do we have now for heat? Natural gas
Click to expand...
Iā€™ve never had natural gas in any home Iā€™ve looked lived in. We had oil heat in our last house while both our neighbours had natural gas. This house has a heat pump as well as electric base boards as back up and a big well functioning wood stove.
 
Last edited:
I remember quite a large explosion due to a gas leak in NY a few years back. I think they traced it to illegal gas line tampering. This happens frequently. Some idiot wants to siphon gas and taps into a line, causing a leak.
 
WheatenLover said:
The Health Risks of Gas Stoves Explained

Gas stoves emit unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide
Click to expand...
Thank you for the articles. Like I said, I grew up with it and can tell the difference between a chicken baked in a gas oven and one baked in an electric oven. In the gas oven the chicken is moist and tender, the electric does not have the same flavor or texture. I will also admit the I have a large electric roaster that cooks a tastier, moister chicken that my electric oven.

Just seems like everyone buying a house these days wants gas appliances in the kitchen, if I was buying, I would want that too.
 
Blessed said:
I am glad you brought this back up. I live in a home with gas features. The hot water heater, the central heating, gas fireplace, we had gas into the backyard for a grill and a sunken hot tub. I have removed the things out back and capped those lines.

My question is, my electric counter glass cooktop has finally given up the ghost after 26 years. I grew up and learned to cook with a gas stove and it is what I prefer for cooking.

I have not checked yet to see the cost of running gas to the kitchen. I would have them do two possible connects, one for the cooktop and then one for the double oven. The oven right now is electric and not that old. I am not willing to spend that kind of money to replace it when it so called works fine even though I have never been happy with it.

Also to consider is the cost of natural gas which has gone up quite a bit. I have a very good electric rate but there is no shopping on the gas.

The big deal here is most cooks do prefer gas appliances. When I pass, the house will go to the kids. They will choose if they want to live here or to sell. I think the gas kitchen would be good either way, help the sale or give them a great kitchen. What are everyone's thoughts?
Click to expand...
Gas provides heat much faster, which is probably why it is preferred by many cooks. But it also is much harder to keep clean compared to a glass top. I like the ability of the glass top to provide consistent very low heat for simmering.
 
Last edited:
hearlady said:
I remember reading about the explosions last year. That's scary @OneEyedDiva !
Is there a gas detector or could you get one? I don't even know if they have them.
Click to expand...
I don't know if they've installed any such thing. We had to get a new type of combo smoke and carbon monoxide detector in our apartments as mandated by the fire department. As far as regular gas...our noses act as detectors because the smell is hard to miss.
 
Years ago there was diner up in New Jersey that had an explosion in the basement that blew it off the foundation. It did not come down in the same place.

We have not had gas since 1972.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Since December 2023, there were house explosions in Arlington, VA, Crescent Township, PA, Bernville, PA, Sewickly Heights, PA and Wood River, NE.
I saw news about other house explosions last year. Seems to be happening more lately. A few years ago, a house not 2 miles from where I live exploded. According to the news report, firemen got the last of the residents out just 3 minutes before it exploded. Also, there was an explosion in an apartment building a few towns over.

Besides those incidences the reason why this is so scary to me is because more than once, we experienced gas leaks in our complex and firemen had to come out. Once we were evacuated (but we all probably stood too close to the property) and once we were not. After the second time, PSEG contractors came in and poked holes in the walls over the stoves in every apartment in each of our complex's buildings, looking for the source of the leak.

It's unbelievable that some owners didn't want to allow access! Another concern is that someone in my building smokes....and he's not the sharpest pencil in the box. God forbid gas is leaking in the hallway (where we first detect the smell) and he lights up. No smoking allowed in the hallways but people are notorious for not following rules.

Fires are scary enough. Explosions...scarier. Here is the link for the search page that has news and videos about the recent explosions.
Brave Search
Click to expand...
In Pennsylvania, a lot of the infrastructure is being replaced. Columbia Gas Company i replacing miles and lies of new gas lines. The same goes for many of the old water lines. The "black pipes" of yesteryear is being replaced with newer, better types materials. Most all underground utilities do weaken and suffer wear over time.

In Crescent City, two elderly people in their 80's were killed during the explosion.
 
911 said:
In Pennsylvania, a lot of the infrastructure is being replaced. Columbia Gas Company i replacing miles and lies of new gas lines. The same goes for many of the old water lines. The "black pipes" of yesteryear is being replaced with newer, better types materials. Most all underground utilities do weaken and suffer wear over time.

In Crescent City, two elderly people in their 80's were killed during the explosion.
Click to expand...
So much of the country's infrastructure needs replacing 911. So sad about the elderly couple.
 
Nathan said:
There used to be occasional house explosions(and fire), where a meth lab was operating in this high desert area. The small biker meth labs have mostly disappeared, and the meth production is from more professional super labs, as portrayed in Breaking Bad.
Click to expand...
Meth labs are dangerous because of the chemicals they use and Acetone is one. Using Acetone is almost like using jet fuel. If it explodes, depending in the amount, a whole city block can suddenly disappear. I may sound a bit facetious, but it has happened, just not in a city.
 
We have also had house and garage explosions in Ohio. It IS very scary to think about. Gas leaks sometimes being the cause and a garage exploded after fireworks were ignited somehow.

I have smelled gas in several apartments I have lived at. I have called the gas company a few times. One landlord was absolutely livid with me for calling. He had to fix something and always hated that! Thank God he hasn't been my landlord in over 20 years!! Meanest landlord I ever had!

Enough of my rant.
 
Ruthanne said:
We have also had house and garage explosions in Ohio. It IS very scary to think about. Gas leaks sometimes being the cause and a garage exploded after fireworks were ignited somehow.

I have smelled gas in several apartments I have lived at. I have called the gas company a few times. One landlord was absolutely livid with me for calling. He had to fix something and always hated that! Thank God he hasn't been my landlord in over 20 years!! Meanest landlord I ever had!

Enough of my rant.
Click to expand...
I used to smell gas in the kitchen where my son and DIL used to live. I was scared for them by my DIL wasn't concerned,. She assured me they'd been smelling that smell since they moved in and it was safe. She did a lot of cooking too. The stove and sink were by a window...maybe that helped. Anyway, shortly before she died, they moved from there which was a relief. That other house is still standing, but has new owners, so I wonder if that problem was corrected. Good thing you were able to leave the mean landlord situation.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I used to smell gas in the kitchen where my son and DIL used to live. I was scared for them by my DIL wasn't concerned,. She assured me they'd been smelling that smell since they moved in and it was safe. She did a lot of cooking too. The stove and sink were by a window...maybe that helped. Anyway, shortly before she died, they moved from there which was a relief. That other house is still standing, but has new owners, so I wonder if that problem was corrected. Good thing you were able to leave the mean landlord situation.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I have had better managers and Landlords since then.

I would have worried like you did too. šŸ¤—
 
OneEyedDiva said:
So much of the country's infrastructure needs replacing 911. So sad about the elderly couple.
Click to expand...
I happen to be at the SP Academy and saw this story come across the wire maybe back in the spring. It was investigated just to make sure no foul play was involved. Relatives, especially close family members like sons and daughters will kill their parents to get their hands on their inheritance sooner, rather than later. This is why the PSP and the FBI investigated the explosion. Anytime explosive devices are used, it becomes a Federal offense, thus the reason why the FBI was involved.

What it boils down to is a lot of swabbing to check for telltale signs of TNT or or other chemicals that can be made into explosives. The swabs go to our lab and another lab in New Jersey for testing. The testing is not cheap, either.
 
Born_To_Lose said:
Meth labs are dangerous because of the chemicals they use and Acetone is one. Using Acetone is almost like using jet fuel. If it explodes, depending in the amount, a whole city block can suddenly disappear. I may sound a bit facetious, but it has happened, just not in a city.
Click to expand...
That's not being facetious. I have training in explosives and without a doubt, Acetone is a very high volatile chemical. No one should use it straight, although some manufacturers of paint and varnish removers do use a very small quantity of the chemical to aid in its effectiveness.
 
Unless I missed it, no one mentioned the first reason that popped into my head...they might be blowing up one's own aged house so the insurance company will pay for a new one. A demented thought, yes, but these are desperate times with inflation and a very sick economy overall, and boomers wanting to move, and those disgruntled with the 11 million illegals crossing the border lately etc.

I've never cheated an insurance company, nor would I, but I understand how desperate people have become now.

I bought a beach barn with a vision to renovate. Turns out it was better just to tear it down and rebuild something I could use half of for the rental season. So demolition began. Then the Covid pandemic began simultaneously with supply and labor shortages, etc etc. It cost a fortune to tear it down to the studs, haul it off, and rebuild. Fortunately, prices in this area shot up, sky-high, so it's turned out to be a good investment...but what a wild ride. It took 2 years to undo and redo...had no insurance either...only allowed to have builder's insurance because I didn't live in it while building.
 
Lara said:
Unless I missed it, no one mentioned the first reason that popped into my head...they might be blowing up one's own aged house so the insurance company will pay for a new one. A demented thought, yes, but these are desperate times with inflation and a very sick economy overall, and boomers wanting to move, and those disgruntled with the 11 million illegals crossing the border lately etc.

I've never cheated an insurance company, nor would I, but I understand how desperate people have become now.

I bought a beach barn with a vision to renovate. Turns out it was better just to tear it down and rebuild something I could use half of for the rental season. So demolition began. Then the Covid pandemic began simultaneously with supply and labor shortages, etc etc. It cost a fortune to tear it down to the studs, haul it off, and rebuild. Fortunately, prices in this area shot up, sky-high, so it's turned out to be a good investment...but what a wild ride. It took 2 years to undo and redo...had no insurance either...only allowed to have builder's insurance because I didn't live in it while building.
Click to expand...
"they might be blowing up one's own aged house so the insurance company will pay for a new one" I wouldn't put it past someone to do that, but blowing up a house seems extreme. Of course just setting a fire could cause something in the house to explode.
 
In the last couple of weeks, there were three more house explosions. This one in Missouri was felt for miles and obliterated the home, Unfortunately, two people were killed. Propane leaks were suspected in at least two of them.
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/massive-explosion-levels-missouri-home-113121056

A woman was killed in this Pennsylvania house explosion.
https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-fatal-home-explosion-9c7ee5c24ba414d968b8b8fa1a961068

A 36 year old contractor was killed in this Maryland explosion.
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/n...explosion-laid-to-rest-investigation-ongoing/
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top