"...some knucklehead in his neighborhood did everyone a favor and ran through the neighborhood turning off all the gas... If you don't have a gas leak, don't turn off your gas."

That's fine in theory, but less so in practice, esp after a major quake. In the CA Northridge earthquake, about half of the mobile homes in the affected area were knocked off their foundations, and many of them ruptured their gas lines and propane tanks. The rate of ignition in mobile homes was especially high because the homes were so unstable.

"City and county building inspectors estimated that 82% of all structures rendered uninhabitable by the earthquake were residential. Of these, 77% were apartments and condominiums, and the remaining 23% were single-family dwellings. A week after the earthquake, approximately 14,600 dwelling units were deemed uninhabitable (red or yellow tagged)."*

[* From a 1994 report on the Northridge Earthquake: City and county building inspectors estimated that 82% of all structures rendered uninhabitable by the earthquake were residential. Of these, 77% were apartments and condominiums, and the remaining 23% were single-family dwellings. A week after the earthquake, approximately 14,600 dwelling units were deemed uninhabitable (red or yellow tagged).]

So, what's the REAL solution? Leave the gas running while all the nervous smokers run outside and light up?

But there is one positive side to the Don't-Turn-Off-the-Gas Theory: Most homes are insured for fire, but few are insured for earthquakes. If your home burns down, you're far more likely to collect.

Sue