Tara Rasheta cherishes the time she spends with her two little girls.
"We have a lot going on right now. I'm battling breast cancer," she said. "Nothing is more important to me than my family, my staying healthy, keeping my kids safe."
But earlier this year, she questioned just how safe her Dallas home was.
"I had been seeing a lot of reporting about the gas explosions here in Dallas and that was alarming! This is our first home we ever owned, so to me, I didn't know a lot about gas safety," she explained.
Back in March, NBC 5 introduced viewers like Rasheta to natural gas detectors.
"It really stuck with me. So, I bought one right then and there," she said.
Rasheta got it the very next day, but she admits it was neglected.
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It sat in her garage for a good two months, and quite frankly she never thought she'd ever need it.
"All of a sudden, I started smelling a stinky smell in our house. I smelled a stinky smell for about a week. I kept thinking, oh I need to take the trash out." said Rasheta. "We have chickens so we literally have eggs almost every day that we're eating."
But the odor wouldn't go away.
"And then finally I thought, oh my goodness! I have that gas detector sitting in a box in a garage," she said.
Rasheta rushed to get the natural gas detector, and when she plugged it in, the alarm went off.
She called Atmos Energy's emergency line.
"The operator said you need to evacuate the property immediately," she explained.
Later that day, she said a technician confirmed that they had a gas leak.
She believes it was a close call for their family.
"While I'm lighting candles around the house to mask the smell, that was the worst thing that I could have done," she said.
It was a $42 purchase she believes saved her home, and more importantly, their lives.
Rasheta said she now swears by her natural gas detector, so much so that she purchased a second one for her bedroom.
There are several different models available online. We found a natural gas detector online for as low as $18 on Amazon.
The one that Rasheta purchased is a dual detector for both gas and carbon monoxide. The dual detectors are highly recommended.
Most home insurance policies don't require gas detectors, but plumbing experts tell us they encourage them because in many cases, they can save lives.
We reached out to Atmos to see if they'll provide natural gas detectors to residents upon request.
Atmos said until further testing is complete, Atmos Energy believes your best line of defense is using any and all your senses to detect a natural gas leak.
Smell the distinctive odor that makes natural gas detectable. Natural gas in its original form has no smell or color, that’s why gas companies add a “rotten egg” odor called mercaptan.
Listen for a hissing or whistling sound near a gas appliance or a roaring sound near a pipeline.
Look for blowing dust, bubbling water or dead vegetation near a gas line.
