Iowa Officials: Refrigerator Likely Caused Natural Gas Explosion

2/28/2018

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a refrigerator likely touched off an explosion of natural gas that ripped through a house in Fort Dodge.

The four residents had just been told to leave the house when the blast occurred Feb. 14. Two were unharmed. Two were taken to a hospital.

The Messenger reports that officials think the gas had migrated into the house through the soil and that the refrigerator compressor turning on provided the spark of ignition.

Investigators have yet to confirm whether the leak was caused when a city public works crew stuck a gas line while repairing a broken water main in front of the house.