Natural gas leak caused South Jordan house explosion, firefighters say

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — The deadly South Jordan house explosion on Wednesday was caused by a natural gas leak. Investigators said on Thursday they were still looking into the source of the leak.

The house explosion claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy. His family has asked for privacy.

Neighbors surrounded the area with blue ribbons and lights on Thursday and organized a *GoFundMe for the family, KSL TV reported. 

South Jordan Fire Department investigators said on Thursday that, “Additional investigators will be working at the scene through the weekend and hope to have more information available by early next week.”

Natural gas lines in Utah

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nearly “8 out of 10 Utah households use natural gas as their primary heating fuel.”

Be Ready Utah Outreach Specialist Bryan Stinson said that natural gas is generally safe to use.

But, there are several things you can do to ensure your home is safe.

“A really good thing to do is to have your gas appliances service yearly,” Stinson told Dave & Dujanovic. 

Stinson said a lot of people have natural gas-powered water heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, stoves and even clothes dryers.

Additionally, Stinson said you should keep your gas meter easy to access at all times.

It’s also important to keep flammable items away from your gas appliances.

If you smell gas or hear gas escaping in your house, get everyone out of the house and to a safe distance, Stinson said.

Once you’re at a safe distance, call 911 or your local gas company.

*KSL NewsRadio does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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