By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Another vacant house. Another report of a possible gas leak.
But this time, Sacramento firefighters, mindful of an Oak Park explosion that injured four of them July 5, took extra precaution when they noticed the spinning gas meter and odor.
"There were some similarities," spokesman Capt. Jonathan Burgess said. "There's heightened awareness in the organization."
The responding unit "slowed down" and waited for the Hazardous Material Response Team to arrive with gas monitors before entering the home in the 4100 block of Howard Avenue in Oak Park early this morning, Burgess said.
The gas monitors detected little to no measurable gas in the air, and the home was "opened without incident," Burgess wrote in a news release.
In the July 5 incident, the Hazardous Material Response Team was not dispatched - until after the blast.
In addition, everyone entering the home this morning wore full protective clothing, including masks attached to breathing apparatus and gloves, Burgess said.
"As far as we know, they weren't wearing masks at the time the explosion occurred," Burgess said in an interview with The Bee earlier this week. It has not been determined whether they wore gloves on July 5.
Fire officials say they suspected the Oak Park explosion near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was a "deliberate act," but the cause remains under investigation, Burgess said.
Authorities identified the source of today's leak as a broken gas pipe in the residence's rear driveway. How the pipe was broken is being investigated.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
Previous coverage:
Sacramento Fire Department investigates whether crew followed procedures before blast - July 14, 2010
Firefighter hurt in home explosion leaves hospital - July 12, 2010
Firefighter recalls explosion chaos - July 10, 2010
Sacramento firefighters injured in home explosion recovering - July 7, 2010
Oak Park home explosion injures 4 firefighters, terrifies neighbors - July 6, 2010
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