CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 14, 2014 AT 08:36, WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPT. OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (60 CONTROL) REPORTED A BUILDING FIRE AT 25 EAST TURNBERRY DRIVE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURGH TO THE GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC). A GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE GROUP (ERG) SUPERVISOR REPORTED THE SAME UPON HEARING THE REPORT ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SCANNER. GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS) AND SUPERVISION WERE DISPATCHED . AT 08:40 THE HASTINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT (HFD) REPORTED AN OPEN GAS PIPE AT THAT LOCATION AND AT 08:41 A GAS FED FIRE WAS REPORTED BY THE HFD. SUPERVISION, GAS CONSTRUCTION, ADDITIONAL GDS RESPONDERS, THE COMPANY LAW DEPARTMENT AND A PHOTOGRAPHER WERE DISPATCHED. AT 08:43 THE HFD REPORTED ONE INJURY TO THE GERC, WITH NO OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME AND AT 08:45, AN ELECTRIC OPERATIONS ERG REPORTED FROM THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE THAT THE SIDE OF THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSE BLEW OUT DUE TO AN EXPLOSION. THE GAS OPERATIONS ERG ARRIVED ON LOCATION AT 08:58 AND HE WAS DIRECTED TO LOCATE AND CLOSE HIGH PRESSURE MAIN VALVE-21521 WHICH CONFIRMED CLOSED AT 09:05 BUT THE FIRE DID NOT EXTINGUISH. ADDITIONAL CREWS AND SUPERVISORS ARRIVED ON LOCATION AND LOCATED THE CURB VALVE FOR THIS LOCATION AND CLOSED THE VALVE AT 09:14. THE FIRE VISUALLY SUBSIDED AFTER THE CURB VALVE WAS CLOSED. GAS OPERATIONS PERSONNEL WERE INFORMED OF TWO INJURIES, ONE WAS THE RESIDENT OF #25 EAST TURNBERRY RD. AND THE OTHER WAS A FIREFIGHTER. BOTH INJURED PERSONS WERE TRANSPORTED TO AN UNKNOWN AREA HOSPITAL VIA EMS DUE TO SUSPECTED SMOKE INHALATION. GDS CONFIRMED 10 HOUSES WERE INTERRUPTED DUE TO CLOSURE OF THE MAIN VALVE. AT 09:37, THE BRONX/WESTCHESTER ELECTRIC CONTROL CENTER REPORTED TO THE GERC THAT THERE WAS A REPORT OF AN ELECTRICAL OUTAGE IN THE AREA NEAR THIS LOCATION PRIOR TO THE REPORTED FIRE. THE HASTINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THE FIRE WAS INSIDE THE GARAGE IN THE AREA OF THE GAS METER. PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORTED THERE WERE INQUIRIES FROM NUMEROUS MEDIA OUTLETS. AT 13:13 HASTINGS FIRE CHIEF RUSSAK REPORTED TO 60 CONTROL THAT THE FIRE WAS OFFICIALLY OUT AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS INVESTIGATED. GAS OPERATIONS TURNED ON THE MAIN VALVE AND INTRODUCED GAS SUPPLY TO THE AFFECTED SERVICES. THE AREA WAS INVESTIGATED FOR GAS LEAKS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE NYS PSC AND NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED. THREE SERVICES WERE CUT AND CAPPED FOR SAFETY DUE TO NO ACCESS. ALL OTHER AFFECTED SERVICES WERE RESTORED. THE BUILDING INVOLVED WAS INVESTIGATED FOR LEAKS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE NYS PSC AND NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED UP TO THE SERVICE HEAD VALVE. THE GAS METER AND HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE REGULATOR WERE DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. WESTCHESTER FIRE INVESTIGATORS REPORTED THE INITIAL FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE AND A SUBSEQUENT HEAT/BACKDRAFT EXPLOSION OCCURRED. SECONDARY GAS IGNITION WAS REPORTED WHICH WAS CAUSED WHEN THE METER & REGULATOR SUPPLYING #25 WHERE DESTROYED BY THE INITIAL FIRE. THERE DAMAGE IN EXCESS OF $50, 000 AND MULTIPLE MEDIA OUTLETS RESPONDED AND REPORTED ON THE FIRE. THE NRC/DOT AND NYS PSC WERE NOTIFIED AND THE PSC RESPONDED TO THE LOCATION.