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Anyone around to witness this incident yesterday? :

Gas tank leak generates an emergency downtown
By Elise Sonray of the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Firemen and emergency workers rushed to the Hotel Presidente Wednesday morning when they learned that a 1,000-gallon liquefied petroleum gas tank was leaking. Although no one was injured, an explosion could have been massive and deadly. “It is a very flammable and heavy gas,” said Róger Alvarado, fire captain in San José. Fire crews worked for more than an hour to control the situation.

The pressure valve of the industrial gas tank broke sometime in the morning, said Daniel Mikowski, manager of Hotel Presidente. The tank served as cooking fuel for the kitchen of the News Café, the Hotel Presidente and a nearby fast food restaurant, according to firefighters.

The leak was detected in a routine check, said Mikowski, who added that employees noticed a strong smell of gas. They called the fire department around 11:30 a.m. he said. Although the restaurant was closed to new guests, many customers remained in the café seemingly oblivious of the situation and the danger. Two waiters stood by the doors of the restaurant and informed disappointed customers that there was no food now and invited them to return.

The hotel was not evacuated or were any nearby buildings. But the Fuerza Pública and Policía de Tránsito blocked off an entire section of adjacent Calle 7 and Avenida Central. The gas company had been called and the hotel was waiting for their arrival for further instructions, said Mikowski.

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

This gas is risky stuff. After getting a Haz-Mat endorsement a few years ago the first thing I did was get my gas water heater removed and convert to electric. Risky enough driving down the road with a tanker full of the stuff, sure do not want it anywhere near my home.Good thing there was not much damage. All the mnore argument to stay away from the Presidente.

Natural or propane?
Good one, I'm sure no other hotels or restaurants in SJO cook with gas.

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

I, too, have been trained in Hazmat - going back 13 years now - and have been involved in multiple emergency response efforts. Propane is some serious shit. It hangs around, and especially in higher altitude where the air is thin, this stuff is heavy....someone lighting a cigarello in the News Cafe could have taken himself sky-high, along with the rest of the block. There certainly was the potential for a real disaster there.

The second part was meant to be funny. My water heater was natural gas.I had propane in Mexico, but the tank was a long ways from the apartment, so I felt a little better.I have hauled CNG to fueling stations as well as propane. Never liked any of them. I know a few people who transport CNG and propane most every working day. None of them have gas in thier homes. Anywhere. So maybe they know something we don't?