By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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If your burn came from something other than gas, start at our burn injury lawyer page.
Who regulates gas in California, Texas and Washington
| State | Regulator | Role |
|---|---|---|
| California | CPUC Gas Safety and Reliability Branch | Inspections, accident investigations and review of utility records, including mobile home park gas systems and propane distribution systems (CPUC) |
| Texas | Railroad Commission of Texas | Jurisdiction over gas utilities and power to adopt pipeline safety standards (Util. Code §§ 121.051, 121.201); as of August 2021 it enforced rules on more than 248,000 miles of intrastate pipelines (RRC) |
| Washington | Utilities and Transportation Commission, Pipeline Safety Program | Sets and enforces pipeline safety standards; its page lists about 21,526 miles of natural gas pipeline wholly within the state (WUTC) |
Federal rules treat a gas release that causes a death or an injury requiring in-patient hospitalization as a reportable “incident” (49 CFR § 191.3), and the operator must call it in to the National Response Center within one hour of confirmed discovery (49 CFR § 191.5). PHMSA counts these as “serious incidents” (PHMSA). Those reports and the regulator’s file are often the first evidence a burn victim’s lawyer requests.
Three explosions and what investigators found
San Bruno, California (September 9, 2010). A 30-inch PG&E transmission line ruptured in a neighborhood; eight people were killed, 38 homes were destroyed and 70 were damaged (NTSB). The NTSB found the probable cause was PG&E’s inadequate quality assurance and quality control during a 1956 pipeline relocation and an inadequate integrity management program, and it faulted the CPUC for failing to detect those inadequacies (NTSB PAR-11/01). The CPUC later imposed penalties and remedies on PG&E totaling $1.6 billion, including a $300 million fine (CPUC).
Dallas, Texas (February 23, 2018). A natural gas explosion at a house on Espanola Drive injured all five occupants, one fatally (NTSB). The NTSB found the gas leaked from a 71-year-old main and went undetected by Atmos Energy’s investigation of two related incidents in the two days before. It cited Atmos Energy’s insufficient wet-weather leak investigation procedures among the contributing factors and issued 14 safety recommendations, five to Atmos Energy and one to the Texas Railroad Commission (NTSB).
Greenwood, Seattle (March 9, 2016). This blast shows how an old paper record can matter. Nine firefighters were hurt when gas escaping from a Puget Sound Energy service line ignited, and the staff report in WUTC Docket PG-160924 traced the leak to a line PSE had treated as abandoned since 2004 even though it had never been cut and capped; staff concluded the explosion would not have happened but for that improper abandonment (WUTC staff report). In Order 04 the commission approved a $2.75 million penalty, with $1.25 million suspended, and called it the highest it had imposed for a pipeline safety violation (WUTC Order 04). See our Seattle page.
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Digging near gas lines: the 811 rules
| State | What the excavator must do |
|---|---|
| California | Mark the dig area, then notify the regional center at least two working days and no more than 14 calendar days ahead (Gov. Code § 4216.2) |
| Texas | Notify a notification center no earlier than 14 days and no later than 48 hours ahead, excluding weekends and holidays; operators generally mark lines by the 48th hour (Util. Code §§ 251.151, 251.157) |
| Washington | Mark the boundary in white and give notice two to 10 full business days ahead (RCW 19.122.030) |
A contractor who skipped the call and an operator who mismarked its line can share responsibility.
Propane
Texas directs the Railroad Commission to adopt safety rules for the LP-gas industry and requires a license to install or repair LP-gas systems (Nat. Res. Code §§ 113.051, 113.081); its rules adopt the NFPA 58 code, 2017 edition, effective September 1, 2020 (RRC). Washington’s fire code also requires compliance with NFPA 58 (WAC 51-54A-6108). Federal pipeline rules exclude propane systems serving fewer than 10 customers when no part is in a public place (PHMSA), so state rules carry the weight there. In 2002 the CPSC reported about 600 gas grill fires or explosions a year, injuring about 30 people, and warned that leaking propane is heavier than air and can explode (CPSC).
Landlords, water heaters and gas appliances
- California: A leaking gas line or unsafe gas appliance can make a rental legally untenantable, since the law requires gas facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order (Civ. Code § 1941.1). A gas water heater that tips over can break its line, and California requires every residential water heater to be braced, anchored or strapped against earthquake motion (Health & Safety Code § 19211).
- Texas: Once a tenant reports a gas problem that materially affects an ordinary tenant’s health or safety, the landlord must make a diligent effort to fix it (Prop. Code § 92.052).
- Washington: Landlords must keep the heating, plumbing and other appliances they supply in reasonably good working order (RCW 59.18.060).
Gas appliances can also kill without fire: a 2023 CPSC report estimated 250 consumer-product carbon monoxide deaths in 2019, 69 linked to heating systems (CPSC). Fires that spread through a building are covered on our apartment fires page.
Who can be responsible
The utility or pipeline operator, for leaks, aging or improperly abandoned lines, and slow response to gas odor reports. The excavator who struck a line. The propane company that filled or serviced the tank. The landlord who ignored a reported gas smell. The manufacturer of a water heater, regulator, valve or grill that failed. A California maker answers for a defective product without proof of carelessness (Greenman v. Yuba Power Products); in Texas a design claim against a valve or tank maker must show a safer design was available (CPRC § 82.005); in Washington the question is whether the appliance was reasonably safe as designed, built and labeled (RCW 7.72.030). See defective products and, for plant explosions, workplace and refinery burns.
Fault and deadlines
Fault in a gas case can be split among the operator, a contractor and a landlord, and a jury can also assign a share to the person who was burned, for example for lighting a stove after smelling gas. In California and Washington that share lowers the award without barring it (Li v. Yellow Cab; RCW 4.22.005); in Texas a person found more than 50% responsible recovers nothing (CPRC § 33.001).
| State | Deadline to sue | City or other public gas system |
|---|---|---|
| California | Within 2 years of the explosion (CCP § 335.1) | Written claim to the city or agency within 6 months (Gov. Code § 911.2) |
| Texas | Within 2 years of the explosion (CPRC § 16.003) | Ask a lawyer at once whether a notice deadline applies (CPRC § 101.101) |
| Washington | Within 3 years of the explosion (RCW 4.16.080) | File the tort claim form, then wait 60 days before suing (RCW 4.96.020) |
More on our burn law by state page. Power line and shock injuries are on our electrical burns page.
Gas explosion FAQ
Who is liable when a gas line explodes?
Usually the pipeline or utility operator, and sometimes a contractor who damaged the line, a landlord who ignored a leak or the maker of a faulty appliance. Regulator investigations often identify the failures that support a claim.
Do gas companies have to report explosions?
Yes. Operators must report an incident involving a death or in-patient hospitalization to the National Response Center within one hour of confirmed discovery.
What if a contractor hit a gas line while digging?
All three states require excavators to notify the one-call center before digging, and operators must mark their lines. A missed call or a wrong mark can make either one responsible.
How long do I have to file a gas explosion claim?
Two years in California and Texas and three in Washington, with much shorter claim deadlines when a public entity runs the gas system.
Talk to a gas explosion lawyer
If you or someone in your family was burned in a gas or propane explosion, call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free consultation in English or Spanish. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
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Burn injury lawyer — Beverly Law
If you or your child was burned because of someone else in California, Texas and Washington, talk to a burn injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Sources
- California Public Utilities Commission, Gas Safety and Reliability Branch (cpuc.ca.gov)
- CPUC, San Bruno incident page (Decision 15-04-024 penalties) (cpuc.ca.gov)
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/UT/htm/UT.121.htm
- tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/UT/htm/UT.121.htm
- Railroad Commission of Texas, pipeline safety release (Aug. 2021) (rrc.texas.gov)
- Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, Pipeline Safety (utc.wa.gov)
- 49 CFR § 191.3 (incident definition) (ecfr.gov)
- 49 CFR § 191.5 (telephonic notice) (ecfr.gov)
- PHMSA, Pipeline Incident 20-Year Trends (phmsa.dot.gov)
- NTSB, San Bruno pipeline rupture (DCA10MP008) (ntsb.gov)
- NTSB report PAR-11/01 summary (archived) (webarchive.library.unt.edu)
- NTSB, Dallas natural gas explosion (PLD18FR002) (ntsb.gov)
- NTSB press release, Jan. 12, 2021 (www-s.ntsb.gov)
- WUTC staff investigation report, Docket PG-160924 (apiproxy.utc.wa.gov)
- WUTC Order 04, Docket PG-160924 (June 19, 2017) (apiproxy.utc.wa.gov)
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml
- california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_4216.2
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/UT/htm/UT.251.htm
- tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/UT/htm/UT.251.htm
- RCW 19.122.030 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/NR/htm/NR.113.htm
- tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/NR/htm/NR.113.htm
- Railroad Commission of Texas, Alternative Fuels Regulations (LP-Gas Safety Rules) (rrc.state.tx.us)
- WAC 51-54A-6108 (2024 archive) (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov)
- PHMSA interpretation PI-17-0013 (49 CFR 192.1(b)(5)) (phmsa.dot.gov)
- CPSC, gas grill safety release (cpsc.gov)
- CPSC, carbon monoxide fatalities report (2023) (cpsc.gov)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml
- california.public.law/codes/health_and_safety_code_section_19211
- Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- RCW 59.18.060 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Greenman v. Yuba Power Products (Cal. 1963) (scocal.stanford.edu)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.005 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- RCW 7.72.030 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- RCW 4.16.080 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.96.020 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (Cal. 1975) (scocal.stanford.edu)
- RCW 4.22.005 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.