Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — Blame the dog.
That's the conclusion fire investigators have reached regarding a gas explosion at a Mississippi home.
Luckily no one was home at the time Wednesday, and the family's four dogs were all safely removed, but the blast left part of the house in ruins.
Gulfport Fire Chief Mike Beyerstedt tells WLOX-TV (http://bit.ly/20Y9AlA ) that a puppy's collar somehow got hooked on a gas valve in the laundry room. The valve opened. Gas leaked out, seeped into a vent, and flowed into the attic. Once trapped there, investigators believe either the furnace or the water heater kicked on. One of those units became the ignition source, creating an explosion that blew a hole into the house.
Beyerstedt said a dryer used to be connected to the valve but the owners replaced it with an electric appliance.
___
Information from: WLOX-TV, http://www.wlox.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
