Fort Lupton's flammable tap water goes national

In recent days, Channel 4 has been covering a story made for YouTube: Some residents of Fort Lupton have discovered that they can set their water on fire. Okay, that's not quite right: The flammable stuff is natural gas that's seeped into their pipes, not the water itself. Still, when...

By Michael Roberts

March 25, 2009

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In recent days, Channel 4 has been covering a story made for YouTube: Some residents of Fort Lupton have discovered that they can set their water on fire. Okay, that's not quite right: The flammable stuff is natural gas that's seeped into their pipes, not the water itself. Still, when these homeowners hold a flame next to an open tap, well, FLASH! No wonder stations across the country lit up when they heard about the story. Click above to see how the subject was covered by an outlet in Boston. It's hot stuff.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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