Natural gas suspected in Ind. home explosion

INDIANAPOLIS -- The search for what caused a massive, deadly explosion that rocked an Indianapolis neighborhood turned to natural gas Monday, with officials checking gas lines and a homeowner saying a problem furnace could be to blame.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators to check gas main and other lines serving the neighborhood where two people were killed and seven injured in the weekend blast. Local gas supplier Citizens Energy said it also was checking gas lines and a meter at the home that exploded.

But officials cautioned it was too soon to rule out other causes, saying only that they do not believe a meth lab was to blame for the explosion that obliterated two homes and severely damaged dozens of others.

The owner of one of the homes that was destroyed said there was a problem with the furnace in the past few weeks.

John Shirley, 50, of Noblesville said he received a text message within the last week and a half from his daughter, who complained that the furnace in the home where she lived with her mother and her mother's boyfriend had broken. The malfunction had forced them to stay in a hotel, the girl said.

When Shirley asked if the furnace had been fixed, his daughter said yes. He said he wasn't aware of any additional problems until he heard from his daughter again Sunday morning. "I get a text from my daughter saying 'Dad, our home is gone,' " he said.

Scott Davis, president and principal engineer of GexCon US, an explosion investigation firm, questioned whether a furnace could cause the type of damage seen in the neighborhood. Furnaces have multiple safety triggers that prevent them from releasing that much natural gas.