Gas heater warning

By ANNE-MARIE EMERSON
WANGANUI residents are being urged to ensure the safety of their portable gas heaters after a Wanganui East man had a narrow escape from serious injury on Tuesday night.
The man took a burning gas heater out of his house, putting himself at risk if the bottle had exploded while he was carrying it.
The bottle exploded about five minutes later on the front lawn, damaging the guttering and paintwork at the front of the house.
A neighbour said the heater burned steadily before erupting into "a giant fire".
"The house completely disappeared behind a wall of fire. It didn't burn for long about 30 seconds." The man had singed fingers from carrying the heater but was not seriously hurt.
The Chronicle understands a faulty regulator or seal may have been to blame for the gas bottle catching fire.
Wanganui Fire Service senior station officer Gary Wilson said although the man's action in taking the gas bottle outside was understandable it was not advisable.
"Call 111 immediately, and turn the valve off if you can do so safely.
"If not, move any furniture or fuel away from [the gas bottle], close the door, and get out of the house."
Mr Wilson said gas bottle fires happened more commonly in summer, during the barbecue season.
"They're not very common, but we have our fair share of them. They usually come down to poor maintenance of the gas bottle."
Peter Willcox from Rockgas said gas bottles needed to be looked after carefully.
"The typical Kiwi attitude is 'she'll be right' and they will be right if they're treated properly.
"They need to be checked once a year by a professional, and they also need to be regularly 'leak tested'."
Mr Willcox said a gas bottle can easily be leak tested at home. Take a cup of water and a few drops of detergent and spray it or paint it on all the fittings and seals.
"If it bubbles, that means you've got a leak.
"Turn the tap off immediately, and take it outside. Then get it serviced."
Mr Willcox said his company saw some "scary" gas heaters. "People have been fiddling with them, swapping fittings from other heaters and so on."
He said there are strict regulations about "what goes where" on a gas heater, and people should not experiment with them.
"Gas is a wonderful fuel but it needs to be treated with caution."