A would-be copper pipe thief caused a Port Huron home to fill with so much natural gas that a ringing telephone could have led to an explosion, firefighters said. Fire Capt. Mark White said firefighters were called to 833 Court St. about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday. White said the person who rents the home had been out of town, and the person watching the property smelled natural gas. White said investigators believe someone broke into the basement of the two-story home, started sawing on active copper gas pipes and left the house after realizing the gas was on. The gas that filled the house easily could have ignited and caused an explosion, White said. Port Huron police are investigating the incident. Police Capt. Jim Jones said people stealing metal, such as pipes, has been an issue in the city for about two years. But, he said, the problem is not rampant. Usually, vacant houses are targets, but it's not unheard of for thieves to hit occupied homes, Jones said. "It's a problem we're concerned with, and as prices (of scrap metal) go up and down, so do the number of (break-ins)," he said. The house at 833 Court St. is owned by Judith and Eric Harris of Fort Gratiot, according to property records. They did not return a phone message Thursday. Bruce Kirkpatrick lives next door to the house and said crime isn't unusual in the neighborhood, part of the city's Olde Town Historic District. "This is what my wife and I call a mixed neighborhood," he said. "... We have everything from police raids to police arresting fleeing felons to block parties."

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