# Deadly Indianapolis Blast, any thoughts on what may have caused it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734 "2012-11-12T00:27:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/1 "2012-11-12T00:27:04Z")
> **[HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News](https://www.huffpost.com/?err_code=404&err_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2012%2F11%2F11%2Findianapolis-explosion_n_2111740.html%3Fncid%3Dwebmail1)** > > Read the latest headlines, news stories, and opinion from Politics, Entertainment, Life, Perspectives, and more. It looks like an intentional blast from a bomb or an accidental one from a meth house has been ruled out, so can any Dopers speculate what it could have been? How dangerous are our neighborhoods? Anyone in Indianapolis staying on top of this story and can keep up updated? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/2 "2012-11-12T00:43:13Z")
Who’s to say, without having been there? I’m going out on a limb, and flat guessing a gas leak. That’s a thought, and that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/3 "2012-11-12T02:18:03Z")
Around here we usually have one or two gas leak/poorly maintained furnace explosions each winter. I’ve seen some that wipe out multiple houses in a neighborhood. It’s a reasonable hypothesis until something more definitive comes up. ---
**Author:** ![Cheryl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Cheryl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheryl44)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/4 "2012-11-12T02:25:01Z")
I remember a bunch of houses blowing up in Chicago maybe 10 years ago, but performing a Google search only gets me stories about that idiot teenager who tried to set off a car bomb in front of a bar recently. Anyway, that was a problem with the gas lines going into the houses. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/5 "2012-11-12T02:27:54Z")
There was a huge gas explosion in [Cleveland in 2010](http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/cleveland_houses_destroyed_by.html). ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/6 "2012-11-12T02:38:12Z")
Until proven otherwise, I’m going with gas leak. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/7 "2012-11-12T02:44:13Z")
Since the OP is looking for opinions, let’s move this to IMHO from General QUestions. You can still get factual answers there. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/8 "2012-11-12T02:54:22Z")
We had a propane tank in our neighborhood go boom and take a house out. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/9 "2012-11-12T03:12:42Z")
There was a spectacular gas leak and explosion in San Bruno CA a couple of years ago. About 38 homes were utterly destroyed. Coincidentally, I saw the video on “Caught on Camera” this evening. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/10 "2012-11-12T03:20:35Z")
If gas is so dangerous, why don’t more places use electric heat? We have a gas heater in our home and it freaks me out every time it comes on with the auto pilot light. There is blue hot flames encased in a giant metal drum inside a wooden utility closet. It does not seem safe at all. and P.S. I know electricity can cause plenty of fires, but electrical fires don’t generally cause explosions. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/11 "2012-11-12T03:30:06Z")
I’m glad I just got a new furnace last year. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/12 "2012-11-12T03:57:22Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > If gas is so dangerous, why don’t more places use electric heat? We have a gas heater in our home and it freaks me out every time it comes on with the auto pilot light. There is blue hot flames encased in a giant metal drum inside a wooden utility closet. It does not seem safe at all. > > and P.S. I know electricity can cause plenty of fires, but electrical fires don’t generally cause explosions. Gas lines can’t blow down in a storm, it’s generally cheaper than electricity, people tend to find gas stoves easier/better to cook with than electric, and (primarily, I think…) we’ve always done it that way–we had natural gas for lighting & heating long before we had sufficient electrical generation ability to provide heat, light & hot water to an entire city. Out in the boondocks, it’s even harder to supply reliable electricity, so they tend to run off of the aforementioned propane tanks. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/13 "2012-11-12T03:57:36Z")
Local here… gas company reporting no leaks detected in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/14 "2012-11-12T04:18:46Z")
The articles I’ve read say that ATF was called in to assist with the investigation. This is only a few miles from my son. I’ll be interested to hear what the final results are. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/15 "2012-11-12T04:27:21Z")
CNN had [this…](http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/11/us/indiana-houses-explode/index.html) > [@](#): > > Fire department spokeswoman Bonnie Hensley said early Sunday that two houses sitting next to one another blew up. But hours later, authorities still hadn’t determined, publicly at least, why they did. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/16 "2012-11-12T04:44:16Z")
Gas leak, possibly sabotage was my thought. When I was a kid a house a block or two away blew up because someone burgled it while the owners were away and sabotaged the gas heater to leak. Something set it off and boom. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/17 "2012-11-12T04:45:32Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > CNN had [this…](http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/11/us/indiana-houses-explode/index.html) Did you read the comments at the bottom. Some nut job is saying it was a bomb set off by the FBI, then mentions Obamas reelection and 9/11. Those kind of people who think about and believe that scare me a little:eek: ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/18 "2012-11-12T04:46:46Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Gas leak, possibly sabotage was my thought. When I was a kid a house a block or two away blew up because someone burgled it while the owners were away and sabotaged the gas heater to leak. Something set it off and boom. That was in Bourne too, after the spy on spy fight scene. He set it off with a magazine in a toaster ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/19 "2012-11-12T04:55:52Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > Did you read the comments at the bottom. Good god, no. What’s the point in that? ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734/20 "2012-11-12T04:58:47Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Good god, no. What’s the point in that? Lol. I guess morbid curiosity gets me every time [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadly-indianapolis-blast-any-thoughts-on-what-may-have-caused-it/640734.md?page=2)