Personal Injury Lawyers > Personal Injury Blog > Explosions and Fires > One Dead in Truckee Gas Explosion

Personal Injury Blog

One Dead in Truckee Gas Explosion

At least one person has been confirmed dead in an explosion in an apartment complex in Truckee in Nevada County on Tuesday.

According to news reports, a 27-year-old woman has been killed in the explosion and her husband and their three children, aged 12, 7 and 10 years old, sustained injuries in the explosion. The woman died from her injures on Tuesday night. The three children suffered burns, and received treatment in the hospital, but have been discharged. The children’s father sustained serious burn injuries, and had to be airlifted to a hospital. He is reported to be in a critical condition.

The explosion occurred at 4pm at the Henness Flats Apartments where the family lived. The explosion blew out the windows of the apartment. Investigations into the explosion have begun. Police are looking at a natural gas leak as a possible cause of the accident. An investigating team from Southwest Gas also arrived at the apartment complex soon after the explosion. They were doing a test to see if there was a leak at the apartment complex just before the explosion.

As of now, investigators are saying that there is no reason to believe that the explosion was criminal in nature. Preliminarily investigations seem to suggest the blast centered on the main living room of the apartment. Witnesses have told investigators that the family had been cooking, using an electric stove just before the blast. The building has 9 other units, and all the residents of those apartments have been relocated elsewhere.

It is estimated that more than 50 percent of households in the United States use natural gas as a heating source. However, natural gas can also be a deadly hazard. Leaks from a natural gas line are not that frequent, but these can have a devastating impact. One of the most well known signs of a natural gas leak is the familiar smell of rotten eggs. The smell is added to natural gas to allow persons nearby to detect a leak.

Although natural gas is considered to be a clean fuel and relatively safer than other fuels, it can pose a serious hazard in the event of a leak. The gases that are accumulated in a confined space like an apartment can be very volatile, and have a potential to trigger off massive explosions.

Gas leaks can also occur outside the home when there is damage to one of the pipelines that is used to carry pipes to houses. These pipes may be damaged during construction work and repairs etc. That’s why it is very important that a house owner inform the gas agency before they begin any repairs or digging up of their yard. Besides explosions, natural gas also comes with the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning that can result in serious illnesses.

Natural Gas Explosions may be Caused by Negligence

Very often, natural gas explosions can be traced to negligence. A California fire and explosion lawyer will be able to determine if there was negligence in your case.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of fires and explosions. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

---