South County Fire & Rescue crews were called to a natural gas leak in the 9100 block of Olympic View Drive at 11:45 a.m. Saturday morning after a resident working inside his home struck a gas line.
While the nearby homes weren’t evacuated, power was shut down along the block until the gas was cleared out of the home, said South County Fire spokeswoman Leslie Hynes.
According to Hynes, when a natural gas leak occurs, the gas company — in this case, Puget Sound Energy — takes the lead in making repairs, but fire crews are called in to stand by.
This incident should serve as a reminder to learn how to shut off the gas to your home. Once you know how it is as easy as starting a car. Every resident old enough to drive should know how to shut off the gas, and where the tool is kept. https://www.pse.com/pages/gas-shut-off
This is great advice, but I was also told by a firefighter we’re not supposed to turn our gas back on ourselves, but call the utility to do it:
https://www.pse.com/pages/gas-shut-off
I know women who don’t know how to check the oil in their car. (and never check it until the engine seizes and then it’s the mechanic’s fault), don’t know how to check tire pressure, don’t know where the shut-off valve is for the water in their house (and wouldn’t know which way to turn it if they did know its location)……. etc. ad nauseam. Don’t expect them to know how to turn off the gas! Maybe the neighborhoods should have free classes on how to live in a civilized society! As for the men, they tend to know more about these things, but not all; I’ve met a few dumb ones, or maybe they are just too lazy to learn. Too lazy to learn! And these people raise kids…..
Elena Pope. Wow. How would your post be characterized? Mechanical-shaming? Utility-shaming? Maybe it would be more constructive to offer to help a neighbor to find where the shut off is located. Or how to check the oil in the car.
Maybe form a neighborhood group who can work as a team in the event of a catastrophe like an earthquake so everyone knows where the shut offs are located? Or who has medical training? Or???
@Vivian: The Fire District offers an organized version of what you are describing with the Neighborhood Ambassador program. The next Map Your Neighborhood workshop is December 19 at Station 22 (across from Hilltop Elementary in Lynnwood) from 6:00-7:30pm. You can RSVP at the link provided.