SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- How can you detect a gas leak at your home, and what do gas companies say to do if you find one?

“The first sign is typically the smell,” said NIPSCO Public Affairs Manager Angie Nelson Deuitch.

It is the first of many signs that you might have a gas leak in or outside of your home.

NIPSCO said gas on its own is odorless but they put a non hazardous chemical into the gas that smells like rotten eggs.

Other warning signs include standing water with bubbling, a hissing sound, or dying vegetation.

If the gas leak is inside your home, get outside and call NIPSCO or 911.

NIPSCO said opening a window will not necessarily keep you safe.

“The first thing people typically want to do is open windows to ventilate. We recommend people don’t do that as well. You should just leave the home," said Deuitch.

Gas leaks outside can be just as dangerous.

NIPSCO said a high percentage of gas leaks are caused by residents using hand tools and not checking before digging into the ground.

“That could be somebody putting in a fence, putting in a sidewalk, putting a tree in,” Deuitch said.

NIPSCO said some gas leaks are a more immediate threat than others but urges everyone to call and report them, so they can be fixed before causing harm.

NIPSCO said gas leaks are usually down in the winter, but because of the brutal winter we’ve had and freezing ground temperatures this winter they’ve received a lot more reports.