Propane Hazard Alert
On November 2, 1999, the department became aware of
two very hazardous propane situations that have occurred in Forest
Lakes. The first happened when a homeowner who had recently purchased an
existing residence began doing some renovations which included
relocating the in-place propane tank. While removing the gas line from
the tank to the residence they discovered the line to be PVC pipe (PVC
is a plastic pipe generally only used for water lines), which does not
meet the standards of the building code or the propane industry for
propane gas line. Use of this or any other unapproved pipe for propane
gas lines would result in an extremely hazardous situation that could
end in property damage, bodily injury or loss of life.
If you are a homeowner in Forest Lakes and are
unsure of the type of gas lines that may be on your property, we
recommend you take a look or have you propane supplier make an
examination to assure that everything is to code and safe.
I believe that homeowners who own their own propane
tanks rather than leasing them from a propane supplier may be more at
risk because the initial installation may have been made by someone
without adequate knowledge of the building codes. Take immediate
measures to remedy any hazardous conditions.
The second incident occurred when a resident
noticed a strong odor of propane outside his residence. He immediately
evacuated his family from the residence and away from the property, then
telephoned his propane supplier and told them of the situation and that
there were neighbors living in the area. They assured him by phone that
everything was safe and they would send someone out to check it. The
owner then notified his neighbors of the problem. He took his family and
returned to Phoenix. Approximately 15 hours later someone from the
supplier's company arrived and in fact found a leak at the tank which
had resulted in one half of the tanks contents to leak out in a short
period of time. This was a 500 gallon tank, so approximately 200 gallons
of raw propane vapor were in the area of the owner's residence during
the time he smelled it until the company arrived to make the repairs.
Concentrations of raw propane outside of a
container or tank make for an extremely hazardous situation. We request
that if you smell or know of propane leaking into the atmosphere or
building, immediately evacuate the structure and area of all persons. DO
NOT use the telephone or any device that may cause a spark and create
ignition of the gas present. Go to another location and contact
the Fire Department through the emergency number (911)
and give us the opportunity to deal with the problem BEFORE an explosion
or fire occurs. Secondly you should contact the propane supplier and
advise of the situation.
Remember
the fire department members are here to serve the community and keep it
safe.
Happy Holidays!
Jack Dunn, Assistant Fire Chief
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Revised:
29 Jul 2005
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