Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GD incident on 2012-07-01 — MN
Operator
Northern States Power Co Of Minnesota
Cause
Other Outside Force Damage
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GD
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$2,400
Incident datetime
2012-07-01 14:56
Report number
Location
MN
Narrative
The house fire caused the pe service line to melt. The fire is still under investigation and no final report has been completed by the fire department or the fire marshal. Updated february 11, 2013: this update is based primarily on the minnesota state fire marshal's investigation report. We agree with the conclusion in the report that the fire was accidental. The area of origin for the fire was inside the residence. The first material that ignited was natural gas vapors that had leeched into the residence after a gas service line had been cracked or broken. The specific location of the leak could not be determined because the riser and a segment of the service were destroyed in the fire. While the exact ignition factor is not known, any appliance that would cycle on or off would likely have provided sufficient energy to ignite the natural gas/air mixture once it had reached the lower explosive limit. With respect to the broken or cracked gas service line that resulted in the gas leak, we know that on several occasions in the preceding 4 years, the resident had filled a sink-type of hole in the ground outside the home that was above the gas line and near the meter. The settling of the soil in that hole could have put stress on the gas line. In addition, in the day (or days) before the fire, a member of the resident's family had added class five rock to the top of the sink hole area and then packed it down with a bobcat, which may have added to or created stress on the gas line, possibly enough to crack or break it at that time. Xcel energy does not have records of this customer contacting US for assistance with the sink hole near the gas line, or making US aware of any related problems. Our records reveal that the meter location at the time of the fire was not the original location of the meter. We understand that the meter was moved by an unknown party, not xcel energy, to make room for a garage addition on the west side of the house approximately 2007. The service line to this location will be run at the request of the customer after home is rebuilt.
Detailed record list
Occurred At
2012-07-01 14:56:00
Year
2012
Report Received Date
2012-07-31 00:00:00
Iyear
2012.0
Report Number
20120060.0
Supplemental Number
15634.0
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
31636
Name
Northern States Power Co Of Minnesota
Operator Street Address
414 Nicollet Mall
Operator City Name
Minneapolis
Operator State Abbreviation
MN
Operator Postal Code
55402
Local Datetime
2012-07-01 14:49:00
Location Street Address
15520 Zumbro Avenue
Location City Name
Shakopee
Location State Abbreviation
MN
Location Postal Code
55379
Location Latitude
44.725788
Location Longitude
-93.556488
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2012-07-01 17:25:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1016411
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
48.0
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Ignite Ind
Yes
Explode Ind
Yes
Num Pub Evacuated
0.0
Incident Identified Datetime
2012-07-01 14:56:00
On Site Datetime
2012-07-01 16:07:00
Federal
No
Location Type
Private Property
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Soil
Depth Of Cover
18.0
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Privately Owned
System Part Involved
Service
Installation Year
1990.0
Pipe Diameter
1.13
Pipe Specification
Astm D2513
Pipe Manufacturer
Plexco
Material Involved
Plastic
Plastic Type
Polyethylene (Pe)
Wt Plastic
0.099
Material Pe Pipe Code
2406
Release Type
Other
Release Type Details
Pe Service Line Melted Due To House Fire.
Class Location Type
Class 2 Location
Est Cost Oper Paid
600000.0
Est Cost Prop Damage
2400.0
Est Cost Emergency
2682.0
Est Cost Other
0.0
Est Cost Unintentional Release
266.0
Prpty
605348.0
Commercial Affected
0.0
Industrial Affected
0.0
Residences Affected
1.0
Accident Psig
50.0
Normal Psig
50.0
Mop Psig
60.0
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Scada In Place Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Emergency Responder
Investigation Status
No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the incident
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Other Outside Force Damage
Cause Details
Previous Mechanical Damage Not Related To Excavation
Outside Force Type
Previous Mechanical Damage Not Related To Excavation
Osf Hydrotest Leak Survey Date
2011-10-14 00:00:00
Osf Hydrotest Conducted Ind
No
Preparer Name
E******** K*******
Preparer Title
Principle Pipeline Compliance Consultant
Preparer Email
E*******************@x*********.com
Preparer Telephone
651-229-2282
Authorizer Name
W****** K******
Authorizer Title
Sr Director Gas Governance
Authorizer Telephone
651-229-2435
Authorizer Email
W****************@x*********.com
Narrative
The house fire caused the pe service line to melt. The fire is still under investigation and no final report has been completed by the fire department or the fire marshal. Updated february 11, 2013: this update is based primarily on the minnesota state fire marshal's investigation report. We agree with the conclusion in the report that the fire was accidental. The area of origin for the fire was inside the residence. The first material that ignited was natural gas vapors that had leeched into the residence after a gas service line had been cracked or broken. The specific location of the leak could not be determined because the riser and a segment of the service were destroyed in the fire. While the exact ignition factor is not known, any appliance that would cycle on or off would likely have provided sufficient energy to ignite the natural gas/air mixture once it had reached the lower explosive limit. With respect to the broken or cracked gas service line that resulted in the gas leak, we know that on several occasions in the preceding 4 years, the resident had filled a sink-type of hole in the ground outside the home that was above the gas line and near the meter. The settling of the soil in that hole could have put stress on the gas line. In addition, in the day (or days) before the fire, a member of the resident's family had added class five rock to the top of the sink hole area and then packed it down with a bobcat, which may have added to or created stress on the gas line, possibly enough to crack or break it at that time. Xcel energy does not have records of this customer contacting US for assistance with the sink hole near the gas line, or making US aware of any related problems. Our records reveal that the meter location at the time of the fire was not the original location of the meter. We understand that the meter was moved by an unknown party, not xcel energy, to make room for a garage addition on the west side of the house approximately 2007. The service line to this location will be run at the request of the customer after home is rebuilt.
| Occurred At | 2012-07-01 14:56:00 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
| Report Received Date | 2012-07-31 00:00:00 |
| Iyear | 2012.0 |
| Report Number | 20120060.0 |
| Supplemental Number | 15634.0 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 31636 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Northern States Power Co Of Minnesota |
| Operator Street Address | 414 Nicollet Mall |
| Operator City Name | Minneapolis |
| Operator State Abbreviation | MN |
| Operator Postal Code | 55402 |
| Local Datetime | 2012-07-01 14:49:00 |
| Location Street Address | 15520 Zumbro Avenue |
| Location City Name | Shakopee |
| Location State Abbreviation | MN |
| Location Postal Code | 55379 |
| Location Latitude | 44.725788 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -93.556488 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2012-07-01 17:25:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1016411 NRC Report How to search |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 48.0 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Ignite Ind | Yes |
| Explode Ind | Yes |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0.0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2012-07-01 14:56:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2012-07-01 16:07:00 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Private Property |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Soil |
| Depth Of Cover | 18.0 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Privately Owned |
| System Part Involved | Service |
| Installation Year | 1990.0 |
| Pipe Diameter | 1.13 |
| Pipe Specification | Astm D2513 |
| Pipe Manufacturer | Plexco |
| Material Involved | Plastic |
| Plastic Type | Polyethylene (Pe) |
| Wt Plastic | 0.099 |
| Material Pe Pipe Code | 2406 |
| Release Type | Other |
| Release Type Details | Pe Service Line Melted Due To House Fire. |
| Class Location Type | Class 2 Location |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 600000.0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 2400.0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 2682.0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0.0 |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 266.0 |
| Prpty | 605348.0 |
| Commercial Affected | 0.0 |
| Industrial Affected | 0.0 |
| Residences Affected | 1.0 |
| Accident Psig | 50.0 |
| Normal Psig | 50.0 |
| Mop Psig | 60.0 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Scada In Place Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Emergency Responder |
| Investigation Status | No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the incident |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Other Outside Force Damage |
| Cause Details | Previous Mechanical Damage Not Related To Excavation |
| Outside Force Type | Previous Mechanical Damage Not Related To Excavation |
| Osf Hydrotest Leak Survey Date | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 |
| Osf Hydrotest Conducted Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | E******** K******* |
| Preparer Title | Principle Pipeline Compliance Consultant |
| Preparer Email | E*******************@x*********.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 651-229-2282 |
| Authorizer Name | W****** K****** |
| Authorizer Title | Sr Director Gas Governance |
| Authorizer Telephone | 651-229-2435 |
| Authorizer Email | W****************@x*********.com |
| Narrative | The house fire caused the pe service line to melt. The fire is still under investigation and no final report has been completed by the fire department or the fire marshal. Updated february 11, 2013: this update is based primarily on the minnesota state fire marshal's investigation report. We agree with the conclusion in the report that the fire was accidental. The area of origin for the fire was inside the residence. The first material that ignited was natural gas vapors that had leeched into the residence after a gas service line had been cracked or broken. The specific location of the leak could not be determined because the riser and a segment of the service were destroyed in the fire. While the exact ignition factor is not known, any appliance that would cycle on or off would likely have provided sufficient energy to ignite the natural gas/air mixture once it had reached the lower explosive limit. With respect to the broken or cracked gas service line that resulted in the gas leak, we know that on several occasions in the preceding 4 years, the resident had filled a sink-type of hole in the ground outside the home that was above the gas line and near the meter. The settling of the soil in that hole could have put stress on the gas line. In addition, in the day (or days) before the fire, a member of the resident's family had added class five rock to the top of the sink hole area and then packed it down with a bobcat, which may have added to or created stress on the gas line, possibly enough to crack or break it at that time. Xcel energy does not have records of this customer contacting US for assistance with the sink hole near the gas line, or making US aware of any related problems. Our records reveal that the meter location at the time of the fire was not the original location of the meter. We understand that the meter was moved by an unknown party, not xcel energy, to make room for a garage addition on the west side of the house approximately 2007. The service line to this location will be run at the request of the customer after home is rebuilt. |
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