What to do right now
- Tell people nearby to leave and take pets that are within reach without moving back toward the odor.
- Avoid switches, thermostats, plugs, breakers, phones, appliances, doorbells, garage-door controls, flames, smoking materials, and engines while leaving. Natural gas can ignite from heat, flame, or a spark. [1]
- Once outside and away from the suspected area, call 911 and Oklahoma Natural Gas at (800) 458-4251. Give the address and tell the dispatcher whether anyone may still be inside. [1]
- Follow the instructions from the utility and emergency responders. A weaker smell does not mean it is safe to go back in.
Treat these signs like a possible gas leak
- A sulfur-like or rotten-egg odor. Oklahoma Natural Gas adds odorant so a natural-gas leak is easier to notice. [1]
- Hissing or roaring near a meter, regulator, gas pipe, valve, connector, or appliance.
- Blowing dirt, bubbling water, disturbed soil, or unexplained dead vegetation near buried gas facilities. [3]
- A meter or exposed pipe damaged by a vehicle, storm, excavation, drilling, or another impact.
- One warning sign is enough to leave. Do not move closer or use a household detector to decide that the area is safe.
Gas odor and carbon monoxide are different emergencies
What you notice
Safe response
Possible natural-gas odor at an Oklahoma Natural Gas property
Leave without using anything that could spark. From outside, call 911 and Oklahoma Natural Gas. [1]
Possible propane odor
Use the same leave-and-avoid-sparks response, then call 911 and the property's propane supplier from outside. Oklahoma Natural Gas is not the propane supplier. [5]
Odor that seems to come from a drain
Do not remain inside trying to prove it is sewer gas when fuel gas is possible. After responders rule out fuel gas, the sink-odor guide explains drain and trap checks.
A carbon-monoxide alarm or possible CO symptoms
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so the rotten-egg smell does not identify it. Move outside to fresh air, call 911, and do not return until responders give permission. [2]
An active odor belongs with emergency responders and the serving fuel supplier, not a routine plumbing appointment. A plumber may become involved only after the immediate hazard is controlled and the utility identifies customer-owned piping that needs evaluation or repair.
Keep any utility tag, shutoff notice, or written instructions. Do not remove a utility lock or tag, turn a meter back on, relight an appliance, or assume a closed appliance valve made the whole building safe. Oklahoma Natural Gas tells customers not to restore a shut-off meter themselves. [4]
Questions to answer only after you are outside
Should I turn off the gas meter before leaving?
No. Do not operate the meter, regulator, or a valve in a suspected gas atmosphere. Leave and make the emergency calls from outside. [3]
Should I open windows?
No. Opening or closing a window keeps you inside and can operate hardware while gas may be present. Leave without trying to ventilate. [1]
When should I contact a plumber?
Only after responders and the fuel supplier have addressed the immediate hazard and say the area is safe. Share the utility's ownership finding, tag, and restoration instructions before customer-owned piping work is planned.