‘Unaware of the danger': Homeowners buy gas detectors after home explosion in Clay County
Clay County Sheriff's Office investigators say a natural gas leak ignited when a dryer was turned on, causing a home in the Wilford Preserve neighborhood to explode.
The blast sent four people to the hospital. They're expected to be OK.
Some neighbors are concerned now that their homes weren't equipped to detect gas leaks when they were built.
Jordan Gross lives in the Wilford Preserve community, too.
RELATED: Four people injured after suspected gas explosion at Clay County home
He said that when he learned of the home explosion, he went looking for the gas detectors in his house.
Gross said all the homes in his neighborhood were built by Dream Homes Finders and are powered by natural gas.
He shared a document with Action News Jax, which shows a list of features that come with the homes.
Included Features by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
READ: 'My mom's gonna kill me': Video shows aftermath of teen shot in arm while playing 'Senior Assassins'
The list shows that every house comes built with a smoke detector that has carbon monoxide sensors, but there is no mention of gas detectors on the list.
That's when Gross said he realized his home was built without one.
'We've just been totally unaware of the danger that we've been living in,' he said.
READ: Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan signs off on $3M for esports arena at University of North Florida
From then on, Gross said he alerted his neighbors to the discovery. Now, he and other people in the community say they're purchasing gas detectors of their own.
'I would've thought in a natural gas community that they would have included natural gas detectors with building our house,' Gross said.
TECO, the energy company that provides natural gas, said it serves more than 60,500 commercial and residential customers in Duval County, and it delivers natural gas to about 1,700 commercial and residential customers in Clay County.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Its website lists safety tips for their gas customers and what to do if you suspect a leak.
Action News Jax has been investigating claims of issues with the Dream Finders Homes company for years. Click here to read our 2023 investigation and click here to read our 2017 investigation.
We reached out to the attorney who represents the company to ask more questions about the homes in Wilford Preserve not being built with gas detectors.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
At the time of this publication, we hadn't heard back yet.
The family whose home exploded said they are shaken up, and their grandmother was burned in the blast.
They are raising money to rebuild their home after the explosion. To learn more about their GoFundMe, click here.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fun-loving Nottingham dad dies just days before his wedding after e-scooter crash
A Nottingham man has died after colliding with a car door while riding an e-scooter, just days before he was due to get married. Scott Catton, 54, was involved in the crash in Ridgeway, Top Valley, on the evening of Thursday, June 5. The dad-of-one, who suffered a catastrophic head injury, died in hospital on Saturday afternoon, having been due to tie the knot with his long-term partner on Monday. Nottinghamshire Police confirmed it is investigating his death. Mr Catton, who had a 13-year-old son, was described as a "great, fun-loving" dad by his family. 'We've gone from a wedding to planning a funeral. His partner is a mess," said his brother-in-law, Phil Bates. READ MORE: Police issue warning after report of drone spying through woman's bedroom window READ MORE: 'I left a bag of garden waste outside my back gate. I wasn't expecting a £1,000 fine for fly-tipping' 'He was great, a fun-loving, bubbly character. He was really into his sports - football, cricket, boxing. Everybody loved him. No one had a bad word to say about him. I was really close to him." Mr Catton was riding his e-scooter back to his home in Top Valley when someone opened their car door, his family said. "He just hit it," said Mr Bates. Emergency services were called to the scene and he was taken to the intensive care unit at the Queen's Medical Centre. Mr Catton's life support was turned off two days later. 'We found out straight away and went straight to the hospital, where we spent most of the weekend," said Mr Bates. Nottinghamshire Police said its officers were investigating the incident but were unable to share any more information at this stage. A fundraiser has been set up by the family of Mr Catton, which has so far raised more than £5,000. "We had to say goodbye to a much-loved friend, partner, father, uncle and brother," reads the GoFundMe. "I am trying to raise funds to give him the send off that he deserves. Any remaining funds will be put into trust for his 13-year-old son he leaves behind."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Investigators hope partial tattoo found on Clay County human remains leads to identity
Clay County Sheriff's Office released a photo Monday of a drawing of a partial tattoo found on human remains last month on Fleming Island. The partial tattoo was found on the victim's leg. 'This is a sketch of what is believed to be a partial tattoo, based on the state of decomposition,' a Clay County Sheriff's Office social media post states. The human remains washed onto a bulkhead of the St. Johns River off of Highway 17 near Doctors Lake Bridge on May 7. They were found by a homeowner who called 911. Anyone with information regarding the human remains is asked to submit a tip through the SaferWatch app. Tipsters can remain anonymous and earn up to a $5,000 reward if the information leads to an arrest or significantly advances the case. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
St. Johns County teen hospitalized with serious injuries after crashing electric dirt bike
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said they're investigating a crash Monday involving a teen riding an electric dirt bike and a vehicle. The crash occurred on Nocatee Village and Park Lake drives. The juvenile riding the electric dirt bike failed to stop for the vehicle, the sheriff's office said. The teen was flown by helicopter to the hospital with serious injuries, the sheriff's office said. Read: St. Johns County releases stricter version of proposed e-bike safety law >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
