Heating with gas whether it's natural or propane is popular with many households.
But there's one important thing to remember... if you ever smell it, you could be in trouble.
That's what happened to one Monson family.
The Quirks home literally exploded with their son and family friend inside.
Fire officials say judging by the destruction was a propane leak in the basement.

George Robichaud, Monson's Fire Chief, said, "By the time that they actually smelt gas on the first floor the basement was pretty well what we would call charged up and pretty well filled with gas."

Fire officials say the smell of gas is the number one clue that you have a leak.
Something many tend to overlook.

"Gas is gas when you have that in a residence and at any time there is an indication that you smell gas means that you should immediatly remove yourself from the residence," said Robichaud.

And don't turn anything off or on.
The slights spark could cause an explosion.
The Quirks were not the only one family to loose their home because of a gas leak.
The same scene played out two weeks earlier in Granby, CT.
Propane was also to blame.
Officials say natural and propane gas have some inherited characteristics.
But there is one thing that makes propane a little more risky.

"Propane has a vapor density that's heavier than air so it has a tendancy to stay in lower places such as cellar areas and so forth and would then have a tendancy to build up over time."

Either way, fire officials say your best defense is working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.