Propane will in many cases completely flatten a house. Many past events have proven so. Google Loudon County firefighter killed in gas explosion. This occurred about two years ago. The propane company tech was just convicted of manslaughter.
Well said. The fire service in general has become very lax and complacent with gas leaks. Even when LEL meters are screaming at us that there is an explosion potential present we seem to be lax. The recent explosion in Loudon County VA was a perfect example. FF’s entered a house with gas detector showing OR on the screen which is beyond the range of the sensor. They had too. There was a civilian still watching TV in the basement. Propane is heavier than air. They removed the occupant and saved his life. They were heroes. That’s it. They should have stopped there and remained outside and at least 300 feet away. But they went back into the basement to VENTILATE FROM THE INSIDE. Standing in a bomb. The house exploded trapping FFs in the basement. Another FF standing on the front lawn was caught in the blast and killed . FDNY Batt Chief Mike Fahy was killed similarly several years ago up in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx. A gas leak occurred in a PD grow house. Ladder Co members searched the house and obtained very high readings on the meters. They completed the search left the building and entered the #4 exposure. BC Fahy was standing on the sidewalk in front of the primary building only 25 FEET away when the house exploded and a 2500 lb section of roof landed on the Chief killing him. FDNY own internal report stated that a exclusion zone should have been established and the IC/BC should have been operating outside that exclusion zone. We need to refocus and learn from these incidents so we don’t keep repeating the same errors. Don’t let the passing of these two members be in vain. May BC Fahy and the Loudon County FF rest in peace, and may God continue to watch over their families.
