Failed gas-line tubing following lightning hits can pose fire risk

The clap of thunder is nature's signal to stay indoors, away from high ground and out of the swimming pool. But a lesser known danger may lurk within the shelter of home, especially if it was built since the 1990s. That's when corrugated stainless steel tubing became a cheaper, more flexible alternative to iron tubing to deliver natural gas. Local fire investigations have shown that it can rupture and ignite when electrical imbalances occur between ungrounded tubing and other grounded surfaces w