PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 0904 HOURS ON JULY 18, 2014, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED BY THE MARIPOSA FIRE DEPARTMENT OF A RESIDENTIAL FIRE AT 1840 E 23RD STREET UNIT A, IN MERCED. THE PG&E GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (GSR) ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 0917 HOURS AND CONFIRMED THAT NATURAL GAS HAD IGNITED AT THE METER SET. THE RESIDENT REPORTED TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE, WENT OUTSIDE, AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRICAL WEATHER HEAD HAD FALLEN ONTO THE GAS METER SET AND WAS MAKING A POPPING NOISE. THE METER SET PIPING APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED FROM THE ARCING ELECTRIC WIRES. THE METERS, REGULATOR, AND PIPING SUSTAINED FIRE DAMAGE FROM THE SUBSEQUENT RELEASE AND IGNITION OF NATURAL GAS. PG&E REMOVED THE TWO-METER MANIFOLD. LOCAL MEDIA (ABC 30 ACTION NEWS) ARRIVED ON SITE AT 0928 HOURS TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. PG&E REPAIR CREW ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 0959 HOURS. THE FLOW OF GAS WAS SHUT OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 1349 HOURS BY INSTALLING AND PLUGGING TWO PRESSURE CONTROL FITTINGS ON THE 2-INCH STEEL GAS MAIN. TWO CUSTOMERS LOST GAS SERVICE DURING THE INCIDENT (UNITS A AND B AT E. 23RD STREET). THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES OR FATALITIES DURING THE INCIDENT. A SPECIAL LEAK SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT, AND NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED. ON AUGUST 1, 2014 (AT APPROXIMATELY 1040 HOURS) SERVICE WAS RESTORED FOR UNIT B AT 1840 E. 23RD STREET. UNIT A AT 1840 E. 23RD STREET IS UNINHABITABLE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE DAMAGE AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IS ESTIMATED AT BEING GREATER THAN $50,000. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT AND THE CPUC BECAUSE OF THE UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS AND SUBSEQUENT IGNITION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ESTIMATED PROPERTY DAMAGES OF OVER $50,000.