You would need a LOT of gas to cause the explosion you're fearing. I've literally left the gas open on my stove for 30-40 seconds trying to light it (my stove had a faulty lighter for awhile) and the most you'd get is a tiny fireball around the burner. Sounds scary when I say fireball, but I'm honestly talking about something that is no bigger than a standard cooking pot. It's not going to blow up the apartment.