Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (2024)

The night before a home in Bel Air exploded Sunday morning, a neighbor reported smelling gas in the area to BGE, The Baltimore Sun has learned.

Residents near the home at 2300 Arthurs Woods Drive, which exploded and killed the homeowner, Ray Corkran, and a BGE contractor, Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, have been saying that they smelled gas Saturday night, but the State Fire Marshal’s office stated they had no record of anyone reporting that to either 911 or BGE.

But The Sun spoke to one resident, Carline Fisher, who said she reported the gas smell to BGE Saturday night and spoke to a worker who arrived in response. Given that information, a fire marshal’s spokesman contacted investigators looking into the explosion who told him that BGE indeed received a call at 8:24 p.m. Saturday.

Fisher told The Sun she “immediately” smelled gas when she left her home to walk her dogs around 8 p.m. Saturday. Fisher, who lives about a third of a mile away from Corkran’s home, said that as she walked, she said she continued to smell gas.

“I’m trying to assess it,” Fisher said. “Maybe someone was barbecuing with propane? I saw a neighbor and asked, ‘do you smell gas?'”

The neighbor said yes, and Fisher said she called BGE. Perhaps a half-hour later, a BGE truck arrived, she said, and the worker took her report. Fisher said she thought nothing more of it, until the following morning when the blast reverberated through the neighborhood.

A BGE spokesman declined to comment on Thursday, citing an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. He referred questions to the NTSB, which is among the agencies and other entities that have been investigating the incident. An NTSB spokeswoman said she did not have immediate answers to The Sun’s questions about how BGE handled the report of a gas smell on Saturday night.

Oliver Alkire, a spokesman and master deputy with the State Fire Marshal’s office, had said since earlier this week that he was told by investigators from his agency and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, that there were no calls either to 911 or BGE about a gas odor that night.

But on Thursday, Alkire said, the investigators told him they had indeed interviewed Fisher, and she had told them about calling BGE.

“It fell through the cracks,” Alkire said of the investigators initially not relaying to him what Fisher had said.

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (1)

    Debris at the site of a natural gas explosion on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air where a house was leveled resulting in two death. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (2)

    Debris at the site of a natural gas explosion on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air where a house was leveled resulting in two death. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (4)

    Unsafe structure sign posted on a home near the house on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air that was leveled by a natural gas explosion resulting in two death. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (5)

    Debris at the site of a natural gas explosion on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air where a house was leveled resulting in two death. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (6)

    What used to be a dishwasher among the debris at the site of a natural gas explosion on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air where a house was leveled resulting in two death. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (7)

    Investigators comb through the debris at the site of an explosion that leveled a home in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air on Sunday. (Amy Davis/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (8)

    Basem*nt walls and a pile of debris are all that is left of a house in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air that exploded Sunday morning, killing both a BGE contractor at work and the homeowner. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (9)

    Debris is strewn throughout the neighborhood a day after a house in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air exploded Sunday morning, killing both a BGE contractor at work and the homeowner. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (10)

    Debris is strewn throughout the neighborhood a day after a house in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air exploded Sunday morning, killing both a BGE contractor at work and the homeowner. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (11)

    Investigators comb through the rubble at the site of an explosion that leveled a home at 2300 Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air Sunday morning. At least two people died and one was injured in the explosion. (Amy Davis/staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (12)

    A Maryland State Fire Marshall, left, studies the rubble at the site of an explosion that leveled a home at 2300 Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air Sunday morning. At least two people died and one was injured in the explosion. (Amy Davis/staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (13)

    Investigators search for evidence while standing on the pile of debris from an explosion that leveled a home in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air on Sunday morning. Two people died and one was injured. (Amy Davis/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (14)

    Firefighters remove a hose at the scene of a explosion that leveled a home in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air on Sunday morning. At least two people died and one was injured. (Amy Davis/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (15)

    Debris can be seen piled across the street in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air, where an explosion leveled a house Sunday morning. (Amy Davis/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (16)

    Aug. 11, 2024 - Scene in 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air, where a gas explosion leveled a house Sunday morning, killing two people. (Amy Davis/Staff)

  • Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (17)

    Emergency vehicles and others responding to the explosion on Sunday morning that leveled a house at 2300 Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air line W. Wheel Road. (Amy Davis/Staff)

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Debris at the site of a natural gas explosion on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air where a house was leveled resulting in two death. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

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At around 6:40 a.m. Sunday, a huge blast rocked the Harford Green development, so loud and ground-shaking that Fisher, who coincidentally was working in downtown Manhattan on 9/11 when terrorists crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center, thought a plane had crashed in their midst.

Instead, the house at 2300 Arthurs Woods Drive had exploded, killing Corkran, 73, and Rodriguez-Alvarado, 35.

“What happened from the night before when I called, and now?” Fisher said she thought on Sunday as she tried to process what had happened. “I don’t know, I can’t speculate.”

There might have been some confusion over BGE’s presence in the neighborhood Saturday night because the utility company had sent a truck there about an electrical issue at Corkran’s house, Alkire said.

“This all stemmed from an electrical failure that was reported Saturday evening to BGE,” Alkire said. He declined to give more specifics about the electrical issue. But he said after BGE responded to some electrical failure at the house Saturday night, the utility decided to send a crew the next morning.

At least one resident who said he had smelled gas Saturday night told The Sun he didn’t report it because he saw a BGE truck on the street and assumed it had responded to someone else reporting the odor.

It remains unclear what happened after Fisher called BGE and spoke to the representative who arrived in response.

Alkire said that when BGE receives a call about a gas smell, it routinely calls the closest fire department, but he has no record of that happening.

“There was no fire department dispatch that evening,” he said.

Two BGE contractors, including Rodriguez-Alvarado, went to the home Sunday morning to address the electrical issue. But it was another worker, who was sent by the Miss Utility program to mark off the location of underground infrastructure before any digging, who smelled gas that morning and alerted his supervisor, who then called BGE, Alkire said.

The explosion reduced Corkran’s home to rubble and damaged homes throughout the neighborhood, some so badly that at least 12 families were displaced.

Alkire said the fire marshal and the ATF finished their on-scene investigation Sunday and released the site to other investigators including those for BGE, the NTSB and insurers. “We’re reviewing info and the data we collected and will produce a final report,” Alkire said. He did not have a time frame for when it might be completed.

A spokeswoman for the NTSB said Thursday its investigation was continuing.

“It is still early in the investigation and the team is still on scene,” Jennifer Gabris said.

She said she expected a preliminary report of the NTSB’s findings would be released in about 30 days.

Originally Published:

Gas smell reported to BGE night before Bel Air home explosion (2024)

FAQs

Would you smell gas before an explosion? ›

A slow gas leak may not produce enough scent to be detectable, and even large leaks may not be detected by people with a weak sense of smell. A gas leak detector can give you peace of mind and help keep you and your neighbors safe by sounding an alarm before natural gas reaches the explosive range.

What happens before a gas explosion? ›

In a confined space like a home or business, the gas will mix with the air, increasing the pressure of the space. When there is a spark or flame (even a static electricity spark might be enough) present, the gas will ignite, causing an explosion.

What does a gas explosion smell like? ›

Natural gas is odorless, so a leak would be impossible to detect. Mercaptan, a harmless chemical that smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, helps you identify a gas leak.

Can a gas leak cause a house to explode? ›

Gas Leaks. Gas leaks are a serious concern as they can lead to devastating house explosions. Natural gas and other gases like methane, propane, and butane can cause explosions when leaking into confined spaces such as homes or businesses.

How common are home gas explosions? ›

The NFPA reports an average of 125,000 residential gas leaks and 4,200 gas-ignited home fires annually. While this doesn't specify explosions, it suggests a frequent occurrence of gas incidents.

Can gas fumes cause an explosion? ›

GASOLINE SAFETY:

Vapors from gasoline are also dangerous! Gasoline vapors are heavier than air; they flow invisibly along the ground and can ignite from a flame, spark, hot surface or static electricity causing a shattering explosion.

What if my house smells like gas but no leak? ›

If your home smells like gas, but there's no apparent leak, here are steps you should follow: Ventilate the house by opening all windows and turning on ceiling fans. After this, if the smell is persistent, evacuate your home. Put out any materials that can create a flame or cause a spark, such as any open flames.

What gas causes a small explosion? ›

A gas explosion occurs when there is a gas leak in the presence of a spark or flame. Gases such as natural gas, methane, propane and butane are the most common types of gases to cause explosions because they are commonly used for heating purposes.

How much gas is needed to cause an explosion? ›

For each fuel, ignition occurs only within a certain range of concentration, known as the upper and lower flammability limits. For example, for methane and gasoline vapor, this range is 5-15% and 1.4-7.6% gas to air, respectively. An explosion can only occur when fuel concentration is within these limits.

What smell can be mistaken for gas? ›

Sometimes, other household odors can be mistaken for a gas leak. For instance, the smell of sewage or rotten food might be confused with the mercaptan scent in natural gas.

Is a faint smell of gas normal? ›

There is no cause for concern. A faint smell of gas anywhere is not a cause for concern. But if it persists inside the house call the gas company to check it out. It takes fairly high concentrations (strong gas odor) of gas in the air for anything bad to happen.

How to tell if there's a gas leak in a home? ›

When you're looking for gas leak signs in your home, keep in mind that it might not have physical signs or smells. You can find a damaged gas pipe, dead houseplants, and if a smell is present, it'll be rotten eggs and sulfur. Near the gas line, you might see a white or dust cloud, and a whistling or hissing sound.

How to prevent gas explosion in home? ›

What Everybody Should Know About Preventing Gas Explosions
  1. Install natural gas detectors both in your home and in the workplace.
  2. Install gas detectors anywhere gas could possibly accumulate, but also where people will be able to hear the alarm.
  3. Maintain and monitor gas detection equipment on a regular basis.
Mar 12, 2014

Can you live in a house with a gas leak? ›

If you suspect you're dealing with a gas leak, take the following steps: Evacuate the premises. Everyone in the home should leave the building immediately and regroup at a pre-chosen safe place. This limits your exposure to the gas and puts distance between you and the home in case the gas leak ignites.

How long does it take for a gas leak to harm you? ›

Symptoms may start to appear within just minutes of exposure. If you worry that your home has a carbon monoxide leak, don't ignore the problem. Losing consciousness in an enclosed space can cause death within less than 20 minutes.

Would you smell gas if there was a leak? ›

The first thing you'd notice in the event of a gas leak would be a foul smell in the air which is similar to rotten eggs. This is a very distinctive smell, so if you smell this in your home you should call 0800 111 999 immediately for help and advice.

Can you smell poison gas? ›

Hydrogen sulfide gives off a whiff of rotten eggs. Deadly arsine has the scent of garlic. Not all poison gases have smells. You might not even realize you're inhaling a nerve agent until your respiratory muscles start twitching.

Does gas smell like carbon monoxide? ›

Carbon Monoxide has no colour, smell, or taste, but can kill within minutes of exposure. CO is a byproduct of incomplete combustion within faulty gas burning appliances, so there is no way to add an odorant to this deadly gas. The only way to detect Carbon Monoxide is with a CO detector.

Can a gas explosion happen without fire? ›

An explosion can even be caused by a spark caused by static electricity. Propane is not directly toxic, but when it enters the air in large amounts, it can cause suffocation due to a reduction in oxygen content.

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