Abstract: The contractor was excavating from the road way toward the right of way line to install new sidewalks and curb and gutter. This activity was one element of a street widening project. Employee #1, on the Grad-all XL 2300, was making a cut into the driveway of a home with a 5-ft flat bottom bucket and caught the gas line. Unknown to the construction workers, the pipe had separated at two locations, at the curb line and under the garage apron of the home. The gas seeped into the garage where the heater and furnace were located. After the concentration of natural gas exceeded the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), the gas reached an ignition source, the pilot light either on the furnace or the water heater. This caused the natural gas explosion at approximately 11:52 a.m. on January 31, 2001. The explosion resulted in three hospitalizations and a total loss of the home.