Who Do You Call for a Gas Leak?
If you smell gas, hear hissing near a gas line or appliance, or see bubbling water, blowing dirt, or other signs of a release, treat it as an emergency. Get out. Get everyone out of the building or area. From a safe location, call 911 first, then call the natural gas utility or propane supplier for the property.
We are not the first call for an active leak, and we won't pretend otherwise. Emergency responders and the fuel provider need to handle the immediate hazard before we evaluate a furnace, boiler, water heater, vent, or other gas appliance.
Who to call in each gas-related situation
| Situation | Next call |
|---|---|
| Gas odor, hissing, blowing dirt, or an immediate hazard | Leave immediately and call 911 from outside, then the utility or fuel provider |
| A damaged gas line or construction-related release | Move away and call 911 and the utility from a safe location |
| A carbon monoxide alarm or possible exposure | Get outside and call 911; do not go back in to reset the alarm |
| A suspected propane leak | Leave and call the propane retailer from outside; call 911 if you cannot reach them |
| The utility or responders have cleared the property, but the furnace will not run | Arrange qualified HVAC diagnosis of the equipment |
Who do you call first for a gas leak?
Call 911 from outside and away from the suspected leak. Tell the dispatcher you suspect a gas leak, give the property address, and describe any fire, injury, strong odor, hissing, or other danger. If someone feels ill, has trouble breathing, becomes confused, or may have been exposed to carbon monoxide, say that clearly.
After 911, contact the gas provider for the property. For natural gas, Washington Gas directs customers to leave immediately, move to safety, call 911, and then use its Emergency Leak Line at 844-WASHGAS, or 844-927-4427, option 1. Use the utility named on the gas bill: service can vary by address, and parts of Frederick County are served by BGE instead.
- Leave before making calls or trying to identify the exact source.
- Give 911 the address and any symptoms, injury, fire, odor, or hissing you observed.
- Use the utility name and emergency number listed for that property after calling 911.
What should you do before calling?
Get everyone out, including pets. Don't stop to investigate, find the exact leak, shut off equipment, or repair a fitting, appliance, valve, or pipe if that keeps you near the gas. While you're leaving, avoid anything that could spark.
Don't smoke, light a match, use a candle, flip a light switch, turn an appliance on or off, start a vehicle, or use a phone inside the leak area. Keep moving. Call only once you're a safe distance away. Don't open doors or windows to try to ventilate the building yourself, and don't go back in for belongings or to check the furnace.
- Create distance and keep other people away if you can do so without approaching the leak.
- Follow the dispatcher, fire department, and gas provider instructions.
- Don't return because the odor faded or got weaker.
Which gas company should Frederick County homeowners call?
Use the utility name and emergency number on the gas bill or account for that address. Washington Gas serves many county households, but not every Frederick County property. Some areas are served by Baltimore Gas and Electric, commonly called BGE.
Not sure which provider serves the property? Call 911 first from a safe location, then use whoever is named on the account. Don't stay near the building searching online for a number. The utility may need to coordinate with emergency responders before anyone goes back in or relights an appliance.
- Natural gas: call the utility listed for the property after 911.
- Propane: call the propane retailer from a safe location.
- Any fire, injury, suspected carbon monoxide exposure, or continuing danger: call 911.
When should you call us?
Call us after the fire department or gas provider has addressed the emergency and tells you what happens next. We come in when the remaining problem is a furnace, boiler, water heater, venting system, thermostat response, burner, or another heating and comfort issue.
We can look at why a cleared furnace won't operate, why a burner won't light, why a system keeps shutting down, or what's going on with a venting concern. We'll explain whether the equipment needs repair, a safety-related shutdown, maintenance, or a bigger replacement decision. We won't confirm an active gas odor is harmless while you're still inside, and neither should anyone else.
- Tell us where you noticed the odor, whether the furnace was running, and what the utility found.
- Don't restart an appliance because the smell faded.
- Let the utility or emergency responders make the immediate safety call first.
What if the home uses propane or the alarm is for carbon monoxide?
Propane homes follow the same first response: leave immediately, avoid flames and sparks, and call the propane retailer from a safe location. Can't reach the retailer? Call 911 or the local fire department. Don't return until a propane retailer, emergency responder, or qualified service technician says it's safe, and don't use propane appliances until the system's been checked.
Carbon monoxide is different from the odor added to natural gas or propane. It's odorless and colorless. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or anyone has a headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, chest pain, or confusion, get outside and call 911. Don't go back inside to reset the alarm or check the appliance.
- A gas odor can mean natural gas or propane; no odor doesn't rule out carbon monoxide.
- Treat a carbon monoxide alarm and possible symptoms as an emergency.
- Wait for a qualified determination before using fuel-burning equipment again.
What should happen after the gas emergency?
Wait for instructions from emergency responders and the fuel provider. Don't return, relight appliances, restore service, or run a furnace until the responsible responder or qualified service professional says it's safe. Follow the instructions for the building, meter, appliances, and any customer-side piping.
Once the danger's been handled, write down what happened and what the responders or utility told you. Then line up the right follow-up: the utility or fire department for a suspected utility leak, the propane retailer for a propane-system check, and us for a furnace, boiler, venting, burner, or heating-equipment problem once the area is safe.
- Keep any shutoff notice or written utility instructions for the follow-up visit.
- Don't relight or test a tagged, shut-off, or suspect appliance yourself.
- For Frederick County homeowners, the safest first answer is 911 from a safe location, not a repair estimate.
Questions that come up next
Who do you call for a gas leak?
Leave the building and call 911 from outside, then contact the gas utility or propane provider for the property. Don't call us first for an active leak: that comes after.
Should I call Washington Gas in Frederick County?
Use the utility named on the gas bill for that address. Washington Gas serves many county households, but some properties run on BGE instead. Call 911 first if gas may be present.
Can you check a gas smell?
Not before you leave and call 911 or the gas utility. Once they clear the immediate hazard, we can inspect a furnace or appliance if that's the follow-up concern.
What should I do if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds?
Get everyone outside and call 911. Don't go back inside to reset the alarm or check the furnace. Carbon monoxide is odorless, and it can cause serious symptoms fast.
When is it safe to use the furnace again?
Wait until the fire department, gas utility, propane provider, or a qualified service professional gives you clear instructions. Don't relight or restart an appliance just because the odor faded.
Need HVAC help in Frederick?
Tell us what the system is doing and what you've checked already. If it needs a visit, we'll say so.