MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Natural gas is believed to most likely be the cause of home explosion in Mooresville near Lake Norman, according to Kent Greene, Iredell County's director of fire services and emergency management.
As an investigation continues, Greene said it's hard to prevent these types of explosions. He confirmed they are looking at the gas meter at the home, as well as a pool and hot tub heater outside of the bedroom to see if that might have led to the explosion.
According to Piedmont Natural Gas, a leak can impact your home, even if you don't have natural gas service. Piedmont Natural Gas added you can identify a leak by smell, sight and sound.
- SMELL: Natural gas smells like rotten eggs.
- LOOK: Natural gas leaks often cause bubbling water, blowing dirt or dead plants. You may also see sinkholes and/or exposed pipe.
- LISTEN: Natural gas leaks often cause a hissing sound near a natural gas line or meter.
Nearly half of American households rely on gas appliances for heating, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Around 61 million water heaters, 58 million furnaces and 20 million dryers are powered by piped natural gas, statistics show.
Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, the medical director at the National Capital Poison Center, recommends annual inspections on all gas appliances to make sure there are no cracks or leaks. She also said people should install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes and those carbon monoxide detectors should not be in the same room where gas appliances are located. That’s because it could pick up trace amounts of carbon monoxide and not provide a true reading.
If there is a carbon monoxide leak, these are the symptoms you should be look out for:
- Headache
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Blurred vision
- Drowsiness
- Loss of muscle control
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
- Personality changes
- Movement problems
For possible carbon monoxide poisoning, get into fresh air and seek medical care right away, the Mayo Clinic advises.