Former NTSB director focuses on tree roots as potential factor in Preston Hollow house explosions

Former NTSB director focuses on tree roots as potential factor in Preston Hollow house explosions

By Zack Briggs, KENS5 (May 6, 2026)

Hall said the chemical that gives natural gas its distinctive odor can be stripped away as the gas moves through the ground. He adds residents may never have smelled the impending danger.

“Dating back to the 1970s, the NTSB has been asking for methane detectors in homes. Like a smoke detector but it detects the odorless gas. They are lifesavers for people that have gas services,” Pipeline Safety Trust Senior Technical Advisor Robert Hall said.