Scenes of giant snow piles on roofs and icicles hanging like curtains may be picturesque but can be quite dangerous.
A Pinebrook homeowner told KPCW she smelled gas in her living room recently, so she opened her back slider door to let it escape while she tried to figure out where it was coming from. What she didn’t realize was the gas leak was on the outside. A large amount of snow and ice had fallen off her roof and sheared the gas line connected to her barbecue.
“If you remember several years ago, there was a big push to cover your gas lines and there are little canopies that you could get that were made out of metal that would protect where the gas meter is sitting on your house, from snow falling off your roof," Mike Owens said, fire marshal for Park City Fire District. "As time has gone by and people have put in, put in the gas fire pits or the gas barbecue connections, those haven't always been protected. And those are just as susceptible as our meters are to that ice falling off the roof.”
The homeowner called Dominion Energy’s emergency line and it immediately sent a technician. The gas meter showed a leak but the technician couldn’t detect gas inside the house. He recommended calling an HVAC company and the homeowner did. Another technician came out and capped the leak. The homeowner said she experienced extreme nausea for hours after.
Major gas leaks that are not caught in time can cause explosions and serious damage. Earlier this month in Philadelphia three homes were obliterated after a gas explosion on New Year’s Day.
Owens said people should cover all exterior gas connectors including gas meters.
“If you have a stub out of your house where you connect your barbecue for natural gas, you want to make sure that that little stub is protected as well. And just something that, that people might consider is that if you have, if you have one of these stubs coming out of your house, if you're not using it, you should turn it off; that stub should have an on-off valve on it.”
Owens said heavy snow on roofs can also be dangerous depending on how much accumulates and the roof’s age and condition. He said it’s safest to have it removed by professionals with proper equipment.
And if smoke or carbon monoxide detectors go off, call 911 right away.
Icicles, though they can be beautiful, can also be fatal. In 2017, a Parkite named Jon Henry died when a large piece of ice hit him after breaking off a roof in Old Town.
As they grow in size and weight, icicles should be knocked off any areas where people or animals pass under. When attacking icicles, use the longest equipment you have, such as a roof rake, and stand well away as they come down.
