WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a man who died in a gas explosion says he had warned the provider about a possible leak.
Edgar Brummett died when his grandson’s house blew up on Friday in Sautee Nacoochee in White County. Brummett’s family says the explosion was felt in three counties, with debris scattered over several acres.
Several neighbors in the area reported their homes shifted from the force of the blast, leaving windows and walls cracked.
Brummett’s family told Channel 2’s Sophia Choi he was there to check on the heat after the furnace quit working.
His grandson’s fiance said that in December they put in 120 gallons of propane in the tank that fueled the furnace, but it was empty just four weeks later.
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Katie McDonald says that’s why they suspected a leak.
“He called the gas company and said they think there’s a leak because they’re out of gas. And they disputed it,” McDonald said.
“You think you have a gas leak, you call the gas company. And I just think it's irresponsible for them to fill a tank just based on the fact that they've gone through 120 gallons. There’s no way,” Brummett’s daughter, Ginevra Boyes, said.
Choi called the company, Tugalo Gas. A man who answered refused to identify himself, said “no comment about that” and then hung up.
The family now plans to talk to an attorney as it mourns the loss of the Vietnam War veteran who had just celebrated his 71st birthday a week and a half ago.
“Losing the house and all of our grandparents' furniture was one thing. But when you lose a loved one, the stuff doesn't even matter anymore,” McDonald said.
[ The family has created a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. ]