Fire officials: Now the time to check gas furnaces

A natural gas explosion that knocked a Dayton home off its foundation on Thursday is a reminder that homeowners should have their furnaces checked before they turn them on as cold temperatures approach, safety officials said.

Dayton firefighters said an 83-year-old Dayton woman was not hurt, but will be displaced after the explosion in the 100 block of Edith Street. Dayton Fire Capt. Mike Fasnacht said crews initially found no evidence of a fire, but the back wall of the home was dislodged over two feet from the structure.

Fasnacht said there was more evidence that the damage was caused by a natural gas explosion including several windows that were blown out. The homeowner told crews she lit the pilot light to her furnace earlier in the night, which firefighters believe could be the source of the explosion.

The homeowner, Kattie Gamble, said she was sleeping when she awoke to a loud noise and went into her basement to find the source.

“I took a hose and started putting [water] on the clothes that were hanging and on fire,” she said.

Gamble later evacuated the house to meet firefighters as they arrived on scene. She did not suffer any injuries.

Fasnacht said gas was leaking inside the house from an unknown source, and investigators believe the furnace caused the explosion when the gas reached it. A fire investigator will investigate, along with housing services to check the stability of the structure.

“If you have any question or doubt at all about how to do something in your home that’s gas or electric related, call DP&L, Vectren, call the Dayton Fire Department,” Fasnacht said.

Springboro homeowner Lori Klens had an annual check on her furnace Thursday, and after hearing about the Dayton home explosion, was glad she did.

“It makes me feel better that I had this done, so that won’t happen here,” Klens said.

Shane Wiget, a service manager with Tanner Heating and Air Conditioning, said it’s little problems with your furnace that can build up over time causing dangerous conditions.

He inspected Klens furnace - cleaning the dust and dirt out of the burner compartment, wiping down the flame sensor, the burners, and tested the electric components- looking for any problems.

“We are dealing with combustible fire inside of your house, we want to make sure that’ there’s nothing that’s going to let that get out of the furnace cabinet,” said Wiget.

He also replaced the dirty filter and tested the air for carbon monoxide.

Wiget recommends a furnace inspection by a professional once a year.

The cost is about $130 and Klens said it’s money well spent.

“We do it every year because it gives me a lot of peace of mind. They find things that might be wrong with it now so that it won’t create future problems,” said Klens.

If you change your furnace filter yourself, Wiget recommends writing the date on the filter before installing it, that way you will know exactly when it needs to be changed.