Gas Safety Card Scratched; Customers Sniff Danger

Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. said it is withdrawing the “scratch and sniff” cards it sent to 300,000 customers to alert them to natural gas odors after the effort triggered false fire alarms.

“It is somewhat of a embarrassment,” said company spokesman John Metzger, “but I think the really unfortunate part of it is that the Fire Department had to run unnecessarily.”

The problem arose when the utility sent its annual warning about natural gas in its “Energy News” brochure, which was mailed Aug. 26 with electric bills, Metzger said Thursday.

On the back of the brochure was a drawing of a red flame with the words: “Scratch this flame with your fingernail. Sniff it. . . . Let your family sniff it and be sure everyone recognizes the odor.”

Odor Added

The smell of rotten eggs is added to natural gas as a safety precaution, since the fuel itself is odorless.

However, the odor was so strong it penetrated the mailing envelopes, and several hundred customers did not discover the mailing before they called the Fire Department or the utility, officials said.

Baltimore fire officials said firefighters have been called on at least half a dozen false alarms.

One call brought eight pieces of equipment and 27 firefighters, including a medic unit and battalion chief, officials said.

“I finally went up to this BG&E; bill on the table, and the odor was so strong, you only had to be in the vicinity of it,” fire Capt. Raymond Devilbiss said. “It was amazing.”