Madison, WI – Madison firefighters installing carbon monoxide alarms at a Southwest Side home on Friday prevented a natural gas explosion in the home as well.
The firefighters could smell gas, found a leak from a fireplace valve, told the homeowner to get out and turned off the gas before any explosion took place.
It happened Friday morning at a residence on Adobe Way, the Madison Fire Department said in a news release.
“The explosive level of the gas was at 100 percent,” said spokeswoman Bernadette Galvez.
That means any source of ignition, such as a lit match, could have caused an explosion.
A Madison Gas and Electric crew was also called to the scene.
“The lieutenant on Engine 7 said his crew prevented a catastrophe from happening by locating the gas leak in the home,” Galvez said.
The Engine 7 firefighters were installing free carbon monoxide alarms at the residence, through a program funded by FEMA to reduce injury and death among high-risk populations.
The carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms are available to qualified residents.
Qualifications include being a homeowner in Madison or Shorewood Hills, be 65 or older, have children five years old or younger, or have someone with a disability living in the home.