Propane Leak Likely Caused Van Alstyne House Explosion, Safety Tips You Need to Know

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) – As the investigation into the cause of a fatal house explosion in Van Alstyne earlier this week, Grayson County Fire Marshal John Weda said all signs point to an accidental propane leak.

“It’s a three-story building, about 8,000 square feet, it has a fully enclosed basement,” Weda said. “We had a propane leak in that area that came into contact with an ignition source and caused the explosion.”

The home on Stone Marshall Road in Van Alstyne exploded Monday, killing an adult man and woman.

Their identities have not yet been released.

“We are still waiting for the results from the medical examiner’s office and we need to rule out a number of things,” Weda said. “We are working with the committee on this investigation, so just a few more steps and then we can I will come up with an official case.”

Weda said this is the second fatal home explosion in Grayson County this year.

In Februaryone person was killed and another injured after a Sherman home exploded due to a propane leak.

Emergency workers are urging people with propane or natural gas to be careful.

“We highly recommend that people who can hire a licensed plumber or a licensed plumbing company come out and do a gas pressure test on your pipes,” Weda said. “We recommend that you do this annually.”

Van Alstyne Fire Chief Ryan Dockery also recommends having a gas leak detector.

“A simple Co2 detector will not detect a gas leak in your home. You should buy a detector specific to gas leaks,” Dockery said. “They do make detectors that are a combination, so that they can detect CO and gas is also leaking.”

It is advisable to purchase a detector with an alarm that can be connected to the road to prevent it from tripping.

Dockery said where you place the detector also matters.

“Understand what fuels your home,” Dockery said, “if it’s propane, you want to set it lower, and if it’s natural gas, you want to play a little higher toward the ceiling.”

This is because propane weighs more than air, causing it to sink, and natural gas is lighter than air, causing it to rise.

Although regular checks and proper safety measures can help detect a gas leak, if you do smell gas in your home, get outside quickly.

“Just get up, leave the house immediately and get away from the house safely,” Weda said, “then you’ll want to call 911.”

It doesn’t take much for a leak to escalate into an explosion.