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ALBANY, GA -- The natural gas explosion in a California neighborhood destroyed about 3 dozen houses and left about a dozen people either dead or missing. But what are the chances of that happening in Southwest Georgia?

How many gas pipes run through Albany? What are the chances of them exploding? Are our local officials ready to handle a disaster? Officials say several gas lines run through Albany and in order to keep citizens safe, they work closely with the companies that monitor the lines.
 
Albany Fire Department's Assistant Fire Chief Sebon Burns says there’s not much they can do to prepare for a rupture- but they do have emergency plans in case a line does break. “Evacuate the area; make sure the areas safe because you don't want any gas leak to find an ignition source,” says Burns.
 
Officials say training is key when it comes to responding to those types of accidents, they even participated in a mock gas explosion Tuesday morning. Officials dealt with a construction site gas leak September first, and while everything ended up ok-they say it’s still important to participate in these practice runs.