The gas furnace had exploded
I was standing in the kitchen the other day when I heard the loudest noise I have ever heard. It sounded like a bomb going off and it felt like a bomb had gone off. My entire house shook. I looked outside and realized my neighbors house was on fire. I knew there wasn’t anyone home. The kids were in school, and he and his wife worked. I called the fire company and then I called his wife, Mary. I told her what was going on and that I had already called the fire company. She thanked me and hung up. I knew she was upset, but she had to be told. I stood outside when the fire company showed up. Then the HVAC technician showed up and the electric company. All the wires were cut from the house, so no one was electrocuted. The HVAC company was there because of the fuel in the furnace. By the time Mary got home, her husband was pulling into the driveway. I invited them to the house, but Mary wanted to stay with her husband. He stood there talking to the fire marshall and the HVAC technician. Mary came to the house. She was in tears and really upset. Her husband came in and joined us in a cup of coffee. He said it was a good thing no one was home. The gas furnace had exploded. The house had been razed and now he was just waiting for the insurance company. He said he had called the HVAC company to check the furnace just two days earlier. If the HVAC tech had shown up the day before, they would still have a house.