GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A construction crew hit a gas line near Plainfield Avenue and Five Mile Road on Tuesday, forcing road closures and evacuations as emergency responders worked to contain the potentially dangerous situation.
"So when we're talking about natural gas, it could be very volatile in terms of the right mixture of gas and oxygen in the air," explained Plainfield Fire Chief Kyle Svoboda.
The incident serves as a timely reminder for residents to review their home safety precautions, particularly as heating season approaches.
"Definitely smelling that odor of rotten egg smell is the most common," said Michael McLeieer, president of E.S.CA.P.E Incorporated, a fire safety partner of FOX 17. "When people smell the odor, they need to evacuate the home, not do anything else, but immediately evacuate the home, because even turning on a light switch or making a phone call could create a spark, and that could ignite that gas source."
In addition to natural gas concerns, McLeieer warned that carbon monoxide will become more of a concern in the coming months, and it doesn't have a smell.
"It is the invisible killer because we can't tell that it's around us," McLeieer said. "That's why we need people to have working carbon monoxide detectors so they're alerted. Those will go off well before it becomes a life safety issue."
According to safety experts, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning each year.
Through the joint program with E.S.C.A.P.E., Keep Michigan Safe, residents can find information on creating fire escape plans and getting smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed in their homes. Click here for more information.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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