Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- City officials in South Jordan urge homeowners to buy gas detectors.
- The recommendation follows a deadly gas explosion that killed a 15-year-old.
- Gas detectors are affordable, available online, and can detect multiple gases.
SOUTH JORDAN — Inspections have wrapped up on the scene of last week's deadly home explosion in South Jordan, and the area is deemed safe. Now city officials are focused on trying to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again.
Seeing what's left of the South Jordan home that exploded from a gas leak and killed a 15-year-old boy has sparked concern throughout the city.
"We've been getting a lot of questions saying, 'Is my house in trouble, what can I do?'" Rachael Van Cleave, South Jordan spokeswoman, said.
Van Cleave said all the safety inspections from different agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the National Transportation Safety Board and Enbridge Gas wrapped up over the weekend, and the area is now deemed safe.
Many people are still wondering how to prevent the same thing from happening to them. That's why the city is recommending everyone follow safe practices for natural gas and consider buying a natural gas leak detector.
"They don't know that this is an option for them. They're familiar with smoke detectors, they're familiar with carbon monoxide detectors, but they don't know that these natural gas leak detectors are available," Van Cleave said.
Natural gas detectors can be bought online or at major hardware stores like Helm's Ace Hardware in West Jordan.
"People can buy one detector and know if they have gas leaks as well as carbon monoxide," Brayden Hicks, a Helm's Ace Hardware sales associate, said.
Ace associates said that the technology has improved to make them smaller, consume less energy, and in turn, less expensive.
"Now they've shrunk it down to where it's an affordable option for homeowners to purchase, and it's bundled with other detectors so it's not a stand-alone device anymore. You can get a device that does both," Hicks said.
If you read the label on the detector, it plugs right into the wall, and can detect carbon monoxide, methane, and propane gas. They run about $50 to $60. They are just one option to give you peace of mind if you're concerned about natural gas in your home.
