Good thing you aborted the dinner mission on the spot. I'd say your
likely cause is a gas LEAK inside the oven (when you opened the oven door,
the leaking gas wasn't concentrated enough to flare with a bang and promptly
dissipated to atmosphere, thank goodness -- that was the odor).

Do not use the oven again until you phone the gas company for a
serviceman to check it -- I hope they were able to send someone today -- if
not, see if they can send someone first thing Friday. Can you open a
window to keep the kitchen aired out in the meantime (a dreadful thing to
say in December!)? Unless you have a truly weird hookup -- VERY unlikely --
the odorant used in natural gas will identify itself long before the gas can
reach a dangerous concentration.

Please communicate -- let us know the diagnosis and the cure!

L.P.H.,

Ann


"Chuck Hildebrandt" > wrote in message
m...
> When I turn on my gas oven, I get a terrible heavy smell of gas. I
> let it go for 15 minutes and it only got up to 200 degrees, and when I
> opened the oven door I was almost knocked out by the gas fumes inside.
> So I aborted my dinner mission and got take-out instead.
>
> What is the likely cause of this, and what's the cure? Thanks for
> your help.
>
> Chuck