Snow and ice.
Both are picturesque indicia of winter’s arrival, but when allowed to accumulate around gas lines and meters, they suddenly can become lethal fire-starters.
La Plata County has had several gas-induced fires and explosions in the past decade. Emergency management and public safety officials say that too often homeowners neglect to protect their pipes from wintry precipitation and fail to get the infrastructure inspected. With the threat of El Niño hitting the area full-force this year, responders are more worried than ever about gas and propane equipment.
“The vast majority of homes we’ve seen burn in La Plata County in the last few years was the result of ice and snow,” county Office of Emergency Management Director Butch Knowlton said. Knowlton said some people don’t realize the county is required to inspect and permit all new gas infrastructure.
“A lot of times people have work done that is not inspected or approved by (the building) department, and we’ve seen that occur on several occasions,” he said. “As a result of lack of inspection and proper installation, we’ve seen situations that caused concern – or fire and explosion.”
Seemingly benign drips of snow from the rooftop onto a gas meter, in reality, equate to major problems, particularly if it freezes and the buildup causes the pipes to break.
“Those two things cause more fires than anything: ice and snow accumulating around the gas lines and the meters, which can break the piping,” Knowlton said. “That allows the gas to escape along the foundation system and the exterior wall and into the house itself.”
National fuel gas code (NFPA 54), which addresses the installation of gas piping systems under the National Fire Protection Agency, requires gas to exit the ground and travel along the exterior of a structure, so that if there is a leak, the gas is less likely to accumulate in the building. Code also requires consideration of external impacts such as extreme temperatures and falling snow and ice when selecting meter locations.
Between 2007 and 2011, U.S. municipal fire departments responded to an average 51,600 fires caused by flammable gas each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The fires caused 168 civilian deaths, 1,029 injuries and about $644 million in direct property damage.
About 50 percent of structure fires occur in residential buildings. Under NFPA classification, residential structures include hotels, motels and dormitories, but not prisons and jails.
Tom Kaufman, fire marshal with the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, said most reported gas and propane leaks – and the fires that ensue as a result – are caused by inappropriately placed pipes and infrastructure exposed to snow and ice.
“With incidents of propane and gas leaks, what we’re finding is a history of people with their meters or tanks or regulators under the eaves of the house as opposed to the gable end where you don’t have snow and ice falling off,” he said.
The gable ends of a house are the sides, where there are no overhanging eaves that become snow-laden in winter.
Homeowners also should keep the dome, which holds a regulator, on top of propane tanks clear of ice and snow. Accumulation can prevent the regulator from functioning properly.
Underground propane tanks and pipes present problems when their locations are unmarked. This complicates matters for companies coming in with propane refills and responders who need quick access to shut valves off in emergencies.
“We don’t want to spend time probing around the tank,” Kaufman said. “It becomes a matter of calling the gas company for the location. Other than that, we’re simply looking and trying to find some sort of marker that the tank is below us. We’re expecting heavy snow from El Niño, and if they don’t mark where the tank is, that delays our response if there’s a fire.”
In Durango’s 2008 Main Avenue fire, which destroyed three buildings, Knowlton recalls responders spending much of their time shoveling snow to locate meters.
If pipes and tanks stand in snow drip’s way, snow shields can safeguard infrastructure. An improperly installed snow shield – which resulted in litigation for a now-defunct plumbing and heating business – caused one of the county’s most devastating gas leak incidents in February 2012. The shield’s pressure on the pipes is the suspected cause of a leak that caused a Lemon Reservoir home to explode while the residents were inside. They suffered severe injuries but miraculously survived.
Gas lines inadequately protected by snow shields installed by the gas suppliers also resulted in fire and destruction for several Forest Lakes homes, which the Upper Pine Fire Protection District handled.
Kaufman said homeowners can build sheds or roofs over gas lines, but the best prevention is to build where there is the least threat of ice and snow drip.
“The best place to put lines is at the gable end, and you may need to run some extra piping,” he said. “It’s not the most convenient place, but it’s probably the safest place.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
Protection tips
In the winter months when every snowfall is a potential hazard to gas lines, the Colorado Propane Gas Association advises:
Familiarize yourself with your propane system.
Identify critical meters, valves and regulators, and let snow shoveling and maintenance services know where they’re located.
Mark tanks and meters with brightly colored stakes or flags taller than the snow depth.
Use a brush to clear snow away from gas and propane infrastructure.
Never block vents and chimney flues.
If you’re a second-home owner, check in on the house in winter to make sure pipelines aren’t banked in snow and ice.
If you detect the smell of propane in your home, RV or camper, immediately extinguish flames, vacate the area and contact a technician, and, if warranted, the fire department.
