GREENSBORO, N.C. — Durham's fire chief says first responders were evacuating the area when the blast went off 30 minutes after.
The blast killed a coffee shop owner who was identified as Kong Lee. Lee was last seen in the doorway of his business after firefighters evacuated his customers and told him to leave as well, according to the fire chief. Authorities raised the toll of people injured to 25, including nine firefighters.
The incident has Triad firefighters reminding folks about staying safe when a gas leak has been detected.
They say gas leaks, like accidents, are unpredictable and can happen anywhere, whether in a kitchen at home, at the office or in a public space.
Authorities say the first step to safety if you sense a gas leak is to get out of the area as fast and far as your legs can carry you.
"Don't worry about grabbing any belongings, cutting off lights or anything like that which can create a spark, you just get out," said Captain Nick Martin of the Mebane Fire Department.
Once you're in a safe area where you can't smell the gas anymore, call 911 immediately.
Martin says an important part about being safe in the event of a gas leak is to know what gas smells, looks or sounds like.
According to Piedmont Natural Gas, the smell of natural gas is similar to rotten eggs.
It can often cause bubbling in water, blowing of dirt or create a sinkhole and or expose a pipe. Gas leaks often cause a hissing sound near a natural gas line, meter or a tank valve.
Firefighters say if you see any of these indicators, get out and raise alarm to notify everyone to evacuate.
They also say just getting out is not enough, you have to know what direction is safe to exit.
"The wind direction is another thing that we look at if the wind is blowing down hill. Obviously, you don't want to go downhill you want to go in the opposite way of the wind direction," said Capt. Martin.
Firefighters say while gas leaks are common, many often don't recognize it quickly enough and are slow to react while some try to find the leak or stop it instead of calling authorities who are trained to detect gas leaks faster. This is something that they advised against.
"When we go to the door, we will measure and see how much gas is coming out of the house and it lets us know whether we need to call the gas company immediately or if it is something small or maybe not as big as it may seem," added Capt. Martin.
Also don't do any thing that can create a spark or set off an explosion like use a cell phone, turn a light switch or light a match
"Just anything at all can create a spark, anything can set that off so you want to make sure you don't create that spark that can set that off and be part of the problem," concluded Martin.
Authorities also advise to stay away from the area until it has been declared safe by the gas company or emergency responders.
According to Piedmont Natural Gas, the additional steps below can help you during a Natural Gas emergency.
Call: 1-800-752-7504 or 911
How to recognize a natural gas leak
SMELL
Natural gas smells like rotten eggs
LOOK
Natural gas leaks often cause bubbling water, blowing dirt or dead plants. You may also see sinkholes and/or exposed pipe
LISTEN
Natural gas leaks often cause a hissing sound near a natural gas line or meter
If you smell natural gas or suspect a leak:
Leave the area immediately
After leaving the area, call Piedmont at 1-800-752-7504 or call 911
Call from a neighbor's house or from another location far from the smell of natural gas
DO NOT use anything electrical that may create a spark; this includes cell phones
DO NOT operate any light switches
DO NOT light a match
DO NOT attempt to locate the source of a leak
DO NOT attempt to stop a leak
DO NOT return to the area until Piedmont Natural Gas or the emergency services have declared the area safe
DO NOT attempt to operate pipeline valves yourself. You may inadvertently cause more danger or additional damage
DO NOT attempt to extinguish a natural gas fire
Natural Gas Emergencies
Call: 1-800-752-7504 or 911