Safety & seasons
Getting propane back after a wildfire evacuation
When you return after a wildfire evacuation, leave the propane valves closed, or close them if they are open, and do not use any gas appliance until your propane supplier has inspected and leak tested the system. Wait until officials say it is safe to go home, check for the smell of gas before you go inside, and call American River Gas at (530) 888-7438 to schedule the inspection.
Updated · American River Gas office, Newcastle
Before you drive back up the hill
Do not go home until fire officials say it is safe. Ready.gov warns that the ground can hold heat pockets and live embers after the flames are out, and burned trees and power poles can fall without warning.
Placer County's guidance for residents returning after the 2021 River Fire near Colfax, adapted from CAL FIRE's Ready for Wildfire program, was direct about propane: contact your propane supplier, turn off the valves on the system, and leave them closed until the supplier inspects it. That is the plan to follow, whether or not you shut the gas off on the way out.
Your first walk around the property
Go slowly and keep your distance from anything that looks damaged. The Propane Education & Research Council lists the hazards worth watching for after a fire: downed power lines, damaged gas lines and propane tanks that have been knocked loose or shifted.
- Smell for gas near the tank, the regulator and the house before you go inside. If you smell it, leave first, then call 911 and us from a safe distance.
- Switch a flashlight on while you are still outdoors. Placer County notes that a battery can spark, so do not turn it on inside a house that might have leaking gas, and never use candles.
- Look at the tank from a distance. Scorched paint, a tank that has moved, a bent pipe or a damaged regulator all mean the system stays off.
- Close the service valve at the tank if it is open and you can reach it safely. Turning the handwheel clockwise closes it.
- Do not try to relight pilots or start any appliance, even one that looks untouched.
Why an inspection comes before the gas
Heat can harm parts you cannot judge from the yard, such as the regulator, valve seals and appliance connectors, and piping near a burned deck or outbuilding may have shifted. Even if nothing burned, a system that was shut off is treated as an interruption in service.
Our practice is to leak test any system after a shut-off, a suspected leak, a repair or a modification, and the same pressure check applies if the tank ran empty while you were gone. The technician tests the piping from the tank to each appliance, looks at the regulators and the tank, and confirms each appliance has a shut-off valve within 6 feet of it.
How we restore service
Call the office at (530) 888-7438. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 to 4:30, closed from 12 to 1, and after hours, weekends and holidays the answering service reaches our staff. Tell us what you saw at the tank and around the house so the technician arrives knowing what to expect.
Plan to be home for the visit. The technician needs to reach every appliance inside, including ones in a garage or crawl space. If the system passes, the gas goes back on. If something is unsafe or out of code, that part of the system is red tagged and stays off until it is repaired and passes a new test. If your tank itself was damaged, we will tell you what has to be replaced and what can stay.
Appliances that were exposed to heat, smoke or water
Firefighting water and power outages can reach equipment that the flames never touched. The Propane Education & Research Council's outage guidance warns that propane appliances with electrical parts can become a fire hazard after getting wet, and it recommends a complete inspection by a qualified technician if any appliance may have been damaged. Tell us about a furnace, water heater or fireplace that sat near smoke, soot or standing water before anything is relit.
Getting ready for the next evacuation
Once you are settled, a few steps make the next order easier. Post a list by the door with emergency numbers, our number, and simple instructions for shutting off propane, power and water. Rebuild the cleared ring around the tank: 10 feet of bare soil and another 10 feet with no flammable plants in State Responsibility Areas. Keep portable cylinders outside and away from the house.
Keep Full automatic delivery schedules fills from outdoor temperatures and your past use, so the tank is not low when fire season returns. If you order your own deliveries, call when the gauge reads about 30%.
Questions
Straight answers
Can I turn my propane back on after an evacuation?
No. Keep the valves closed until your propane supplier inspects and leak tests the system, even if the house looks untouched.
Do I need to be home when the technician comes?
Yes. The technician has to reach every gas appliance inside the house to finish the leak test.
What if my propane tank was in the fire?
Stay away from it, keep others away, and call us. If you smell gas, leave first, then call 911 and us from a safe distance.
Who do I call about electricity or natural gas?
Your electric or natural gas utility, such as PG&E. We handle the propane system from the tank to your appliances.
Related
Keep reading
Sources: Placer County: Returning home after the River Fire (August 2021; adapted from CAL FIRE Ready for Wildfire) (opens in a new tab) · Propane Education & Research Council: propane safety and wildfires (opens in a new tab) · Propane Education & Research Council: propane safety and power outages (10 tips, PDF) (opens in a new tab) · Ready.gov (FEMA): wildfires, returning home (opens in a new tab)
Newcastle yard · since 1966
Questions about propane?
Call the office and talk to a real person. Or leave your details and we call you back.
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM (closed noon-1:00 PM)
After hours, weekends and holidays, our answering service reaches a staff member.
