Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GD incident on 2011-02-09 — NY
Operator
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp
Cause
Natural Force Damage
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GD
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$3,503
Incident datetime
2011-02-09 07:01
Report number
Location
NY, OSWEGO
Narrative
Incident timeline: 06:56 gas odor called in from 425 cayuga st, fulton. Dispatched to service rep. See attached mwork order. 07:01 service man (andy heckathorn) arrived at complaint address. Could smell strong odor of gas and began to investigate the source. 07:15 while in front of 425 cayuga st, service man hear a loud 'woosh' across the street and thought the building may have caved in. When investigating the noise, he saw smoke from a house around the corner at 38 s 5th st, fulton. He called 911 and went to address and saw front wall had been blown out and flames coming from inside house. He saw two people escape the house and they said no one else was inside. He contacted supervisor and cut electric service at pole at street. Unable to get to outside gas meter because of fire. 07:20 dispatched gas operations crew (james tuttle, michael kenyon, jamieson boonzha) to 38 s 5th st. 07:30 gas ops crew arrived on site. Fire department was at scene. House was in flames and fire department was using hoses to control fire. When it was safe, crew approached outside riser to determine whether it was broken above or below the shut off valve. The entire meter assembly was buried with snow, ice and ash when they approached. 07:45 gas was shut off at riser using a long handled valve key. This significantly reduced the flames however did not stop the fire. It was determined that gas was leaking by shutoff on riser. 07:50 service department began wall checks at all the neighboring houses. All wall checks were clear. 08:00 gas crew began digging service at main to shut off gas. 08:42 gas service was shut off at tee. Upon shut down, fire immediately extinguished. Follow-up investigation: immediately following this incident the subsequent action was taken: - a gas sample was taken at the neighboring house (501 cayuga st) to check mercaptin levels. Two tests were completed using backarach odorometer (id# ais367). The results were: - .15 (tested by andy heckathorn) - .25 (tested philip natoli) - above ground service piping, including customer fuel line, was inspected for damage. The entire meter assembly was significantly bent forward. There was significant damage to the regulator, and meter due to the fire. Customer fuel line was very loose but still intact. A crack was found on the nipple between the reducer and the bottom of the shut off valve. - service riser was capped, and line was re-energized. An underground leak survey was completed using two calibrated combustible gas indicators (id #052010 and #052010). Zero gas readings were found. - the service line was pressure tested with air at 22psi for 15 minutes, with no drop in line pressure. - after testing was completed, the service line was permanently retired at the main. - jim clary from the ng claims department as well as dennis ware from ware investigations arrived to investigate and document the event. Preliminary report: consensus with the local fire and police investigators as well as ng personnel determined that ice and snow shed from the roof of the residence caused the damage to the service piping resulting in the leak. The most likely ignition source occurred from the furnace which was located approximately 5 feet from the service riser.
Detailed record list
Occurred At
2011-02-09 07:01:00
Year
2011
Report Received Date
2011-03-04 00:00:00
Iyear
2011.0
Report Number
20110042.0
Supplemental Number
15210.0
Report Type
Original
Operator Id
13480
Name
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp
Operator Street Address
300 Erie Boulevard West
Operator City Name
Syracuse
Operator State Abbreviation
NY
Operator Postal Code
13202
Local Datetime
2011-02-09 06:51:00
Location Street Address
38 S. 5th Street
Location City Name
Fulton
Location County Name
Oswego
Location State Abbreviation
NY
Location Postal Code
13069
Location Latitude
43.32491
Location Longitude
-76.41104
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2011-02-09 10:50:00
Nrc Rpt Num
966946
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
10.0
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Ignite Ind
Yes
Explode Ind
Yes
Num Pub Evacuated
2.0
Incident Identified Datetime
2011-02-09 07:01:00
On Site Datetime
2011-02-09 07:01:00
Federal
No
Location Type
Private Property
Incident Area Type
Aboveground
Incident Area Subtype
Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance (E.g. Value Or Regulator Station, Outdoor Meter Set)
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Privately Owned
System Part Involved
Outside Meter/regulator Set
Installation Year
1985.0
Material Involved
Steel
Steel Seam Type
Other
Steel Seam Type Details
Unknown
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Crack
Class Location Type
Class 3 Location
Est Cost Oper Paid
25700.0
Est Cost Prop Damage
3503.0
Est Cost Emergency
621.0
Est Cost Other
5000.0
Est Cost Other Details
Damage To Adjacent Building
Est Cost Unintentional Release
64.0
Prpty
34888.0
Commercial Affected
0.0
Industrial Affected
0.0
Residences Affected
2.0
Accident Psig
22.0
Normal Psig
22.0
Mop Psig
60.0
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Scada In Place Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Public
Investigation Status
No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate)
Investigation Status Details
Above ground leak due to a cracked nipple from fallen ice. Not detectable by scada.
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Natural Force Damage
Cause Details
Other Natural Force Damage
Natural Force Type
Other Natural Force Damage
Nf Other Details
Ice Slid Off Steel Roof Onto Outside Meter Set And Cracked The Nipple.
Nf Extreme Weather Ind
Yes
Nf Other Ind
Yes
Nf Extreme Weather Details
Ice Slid Off Steel Roof And Damaged Equipment.
Preparer Name
D****** D*********
Preparer Title
Manager Upstate Dispatch And Scheduling
Preparer Email
D*****************@us.n****.com
Preparer Telephone
315 460-2615
Preparer Fax
315 460-2762
Authorizer Name
D****** D*********
Authorizer Telephone
315 460-2615
Authorizer Email
D*****************@us.n****.com
Narrative
Incident timeline: 06:56 gas odor called in from 425 cayuga st, fulton. Dispatched to service rep. See attached mwork order. 07:01 service man (andy heckathorn) arrived at complaint address. Could smell strong odor of gas and began to investigate the source. 07:15 while in front of 425 cayuga st, service man hear a loud 'woosh' across the street and thought the building may have caved in. When investigating the noise, he saw smoke from a house around the corner at 38 s 5th st, fulton. He called 911 and went to address and saw front wall had been blown out and flames coming from inside house. He saw two people escape the house and they said no one else was inside. He contacted supervisor and cut electric service at pole at street. Unable to get to outside gas meter because of fire. 07:20 dispatched gas operations crew (james tuttle, michael kenyon, jamieson boonzha) to 38 s 5th st. 07:30 gas ops crew arrived on site. Fire department was at scene. House was in flames and fire department was using hoses to control fire. When it was safe, crew approached outside riser to determine whether it was broken above or below the shut off valve. The entire meter assembly was buried with snow, ice and ash when they approached. 07:45 gas was shut off at riser using a long handled valve key. This significantly reduced the flames however did not stop the fire. It was determined that gas was leaking by shutoff on riser. 07:50 service department began wall checks at all the neighboring houses. All wall checks were clear. 08:00 gas crew began digging service at main to shut off gas. 08:42 gas service was shut off at tee. Upon shut down, fire immediately extinguished. Follow-up investigation: immediately following this incident the subsequent action was taken: - a gas sample was taken at the neighboring house (501 cayuga st) to check mercaptin levels. Two tests were completed using backarach odorometer (id# ais367). The results were: - .15 (tested by andy heckathorn) - .25 (tested philip natoli) - above ground service piping, including customer fuel line, was inspected for damage. The entire meter assembly was significantly bent forward. There was significant damage to the regulator, and meter due to the fire. Customer fuel line was very loose but still intact. A crack was found on the nipple between the reducer and the bottom of the shut off valve. - service riser was capped, and line was re-energized. An underground leak survey was completed using two calibrated combustible gas indicators (id #052010 and #052010). Zero gas readings were found. - the service line was pressure tested with air at 22psi for 15 minutes, with no drop in line pressure. - after testing was completed, the service line was permanently retired at the main. - jim clary from the ng claims department as well as dennis ware from ware investigations arrived to investigate and document the event. Preliminary report: consensus with the local fire and police investigators as well as ng personnel determined that ice and snow shed from the roof of the residence caused the damage to the service piping resulting in the leak. The most likely ignition source occurred from the furnace which was located approximately 5 feet from the service riser.
| Occurred At | 2011-02-09 07:01:00 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011 |
| Report Received Date | 2011-03-04 00:00:00 |
| Iyear | 2011.0 |
| Report Number | 20110042.0 |
| Supplemental Number | 15210.0 |
| Report Type | Original |
| Operator Id | 13480 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Niagara Mohawk Power Corp |
| Operator Street Address | 300 Erie Boulevard West |
| Operator City Name | Syracuse |
| Operator State Abbreviation | NY |
| Operator Postal Code | 13202 |
| Local Datetime | 2011-02-09 06:51:00 |
| Location Street Address | 38 S. 5th Street |
| Location City Name | Fulton |
| Location County Name | Oswego |
| Location State Abbreviation | NY |
| Location Postal Code | 13069 |
| Location Latitude | 43.32491 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -76.41104 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2011-02-09 10:50:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 966946 NRC Report How to search |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 10.0 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Ignite Ind | Yes |
| Explode Ind | Yes |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 2.0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2011-02-09 07:01:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2011-02-09 07:01:00 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Private Property |
| Incident Area Type | Aboveground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance (E.g. Value Or Regulator Station, Outdoor Meter Set) |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Privately Owned |
| System Part Involved | Outside Meter/regulator Set |
| Installation Year | 1985.0 |
| Material Involved | Steel |
| Steel Seam Type | Other |
| Steel Seam Type Details | Unknown |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Crack |
| Class Location Type | Class 3 Location |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 25700.0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 3503.0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 621.0 |
| Est Cost Other | 5000.0 |
| Est Cost Other Details | Damage To Adjacent Building |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 64.0 |
| Prpty | 34888.0 |
| Commercial Affected | 0.0 |
| Industrial Affected | 0.0 |
| Residences Affected | 2.0 |
| Accident Psig | 22.0 |
| Normal Psig | 22.0 |
| Mop Psig | 60.0 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Scada In Place Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Public |
| Investigation Status | No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate) |
| Investigation Status Details | Above ground leak due to a cracked nipple from fallen ice. Not detectable by scada. |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Natural Force Damage |
| Cause Details | Other Natural Force Damage |
| Natural Force Type | Other Natural Force Damage |
| Nf Other Details | Ice Slid Off Steel Roof Onto Outside Meter Set And Cracked The Nipple. |
| Nf Extreme Weather Ind | Yes |
| Nf Other Ind | Yes |
| Nf Extreme Weather Details | Ice Slid Off Steel Roof And Damaged Equipment. |
| Preparer Name | D****** D********* |
| Preparer Title | Manager Upstate Dispatch And Scheduling |
| Preparer Email | D*****************@us.n****.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 315 460-2615 |
| Preparer Fax | 315 460-2762 |
| Authorizer Name | D****** D********* |
| Authorizer Telephone | 315 460-2615 |
| Authorizer Email | D*****************@us.n****.com |
| Narrative | Incident timeline: 06:56 gas odor called in from 425 cayuga st, fulton. Dispatched to service rep. See attached mwork order. 07:01 service man (andy heckathorn) arrived at complaint address. Could smell strong odor of gas and began to investigate the source. 07:15 while in front of 425 cayuga st, service man hear a loud 'woosh' across the street and thought the building may have caved in. When investigating the noise, he saw smoke from a house around the corner at 38 s 5th st, fulton. He called 911 and went to address and saw front wall had been blown out and flames coming from inside house. He saw two people escape the house and they said no one else was inside. He contacted supervisor and cut electric service at pole at street. Unable to get to outside gas meter because of fire. 07:20 dispatched gas operations crew (james tuttle, michael kenyon, jamieson boonzha) to 38 s 5th st. 07:30 gas ops crew arrived on site. Fire department was at scene. House was in flames and fire department was using hoses to control fire. When it was safe, crew approached outside riser to determine whether it was broken above or below the shut off valve. The entire meter assembly was buried with snow, ice and ash when they approached. 07:45 gas was shut off at riser using a long handled valve key. This significantly reduced the flames however did not stop the fire. It was determined that gas was leaking by shutoff on riser. 07:50 service department began wall checks at all the neighboring houses. All wall checks were clear. 08:00 gas crew began digging service at main to shut off gas. 08:42 gas service was shut off at tee. Upon shut down, fire immediately extinguished. Follow-up investigation: immediately following this incident the subsequent action was taken: - a gas sample was taken at the neighboring house (501 cayuga st) to check mercaptin levels. Two tests were completed using backarach odorometer (id# ais367). The results were: - .15 (tested by andy heckathorn) - .25 (tested philip natoli) - above ground service piping, including customer fuel line, was inspected for damage. The entire meter assembly was significantly bent forward. There was significant damage to the regulator, and meter due to the fire. Customer fuel line was very loose but still intact. A crack was found on the nipple between the reducer and the bottom of the shut off valve. - service riser was capped, and line was re-energized. An underground leak survey was completed using two calibrated combustible gas indicators (id #052010 and #052010). Zero gas readings were found. - the service line was pressure tested with air at 22psi for 15 minutes, with no drop in line pressure. - after testing was completed, the service line was permanently retired at the main. - jim clary from the ng claims department as well as dennis ware from ware investigations arrived to investigate and document the event. Preliminary report: consensus with the local fire and police investigators as well as ng personnel determined that ice and snow shed from the roof of the residence caused the damage to the service piping resulting in the leak. The most likely ignition source occurred from the furnace which was located approximately 5 feet from the service riser. |
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