WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY DBA WE ENERGIES

Incident Narrative

ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014, AT ABOUT 11:11 A.M., THE VILLAGE OF TWIN LAKES (TWIN LAKES) POLICE DEPARTMENT CALLED THE WE ENERGIES (COMPANY) FIRE AND POLICE LINE TO PROVIDE NOTIFICATION OF A HOUSE FIRE AT 2800 LAKESHORE WAY IN TWIN LAKES. THE CALLER STATED THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED AND THAT THERE WAS ALSO GAS BURNING. WE ENERGIES IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED A FIRST RESPONDER TO THE SITE. THE FIRST RESPONDER ARRIVED ON SITE AT 11:47 A.M. AND OBSERVED A STRUCTURE FIRE; BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF AN EXPLOSION. THE EMPLOYEE NOTED THAT THE STRUCTURE FIRE WAS ESSENTIALLY UNDER CONTROL BUT NATURAL GAS WAS BURNING AT THE OUTSIDE METER AND AT A FEW LOCATIONS ON THE GROUND NEAR THE BUILDING. THE FIRST RESPONDER SAW THAT MORE RESOURCES WERE NEEDED TO REMOTELY SHUT OFF THE GAS AND MADE THE REQUEST TO THE DISPATCHER. THE FIRST RESPONDER AND ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WHO HAD ARRIVED PROCEEDED TO CHECK FOR GAS MIGRATION AND WORK WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL TO KEEP A SAFE PERIMETER. INITIAL PROBING AND RECHECKS VERIFIED THAT GAS WAS ONLY IN THE AREA OF THE STRUCTURE FIRE. AT ABOUT 12:52 P.M., MORE PERSONNEL ARRIVED AND BEGAN DIGGING TO REMOTELY SQUEEZE OFF GAS ON THIS ONE-WAY FEED TO 2800 LAKESHORE WAY AND THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH. A FROST DEPTH OF ABOUT 3 FT. MADE EXCAVATION HARD, AND THE 1958-INSTALLED 1 1/4 IN. STEEL GAS MAIN TO THE PROPERTIES WAS SQUEEZED OFF AT ABOUT 3:09 P.M. ALL FIRE AT THE PROPERTY WAS EXTINGUISHED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. TO CONFIRM THE UNOCCUPIED HOME TO THE NORTH WAS SAFE, ACCESS WAS GAINED WITH POLICE ASSISTANCE AT ABOUT 1:30 P.M. AND ALL THREE LEVELS CHECKED AT 0%. DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE POTENTIALLY CAUSED BY GAS LEAKAGE FROM OPERATOR FACILITIES, A PHONE NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AT ABOUT 4:00 P.M. TO REPORT THIS EVENT AS A POSSIBLE INCIDENT PER 49 CFR PART 191.3. THE WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (WPSC) WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. A LINE STOPPER WAS INSTALLED AND SERVICE WAS RESTORED TO THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY BY ABOUT 6:30 P.M. ON 1/30/14. AFTER VERIFYING THAT THE SITE WAS SAFE, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO WAIT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY TO CONDUCT FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS. ON 1/31/14, TWIN LAKES FIRE, WPSC AND COMPANY PERSONNEL MET ON SITE FOR INVESTIGATIONS. INITIAL PRESSURE TESTING OF THE ABANDONED MAIN AND SERVICE INDICATED AN UNDERGROUND LEAK, AND IT WAS BELIEVED NECESSARY TO EXCAVATE AT THE SERVICE TEE. SINCE THE PROPERTY OWNERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH MOVING NECESSARY PERSONAL PROPERTY, FURTHER EXCAVATION WAS DELAYED UNTIL FEBRUARY 4TH. ON 2/4/14, TWIN LAKES FIRE, WPSC AND COMPANY PERSONNEL MET ON SITE TO CONTINUE THE INVESTIGATION. UPON EXCAVATION AT THE SERVICE TEE LOCATION FOR 2800 LAKESHORE WAY, A BENT SECTION OF MAIN WAS IDENTIFIED. THE MAIN WAS BENT IN AN ARC, AND WAS DISPLACED VERTICALLY BY ABOUT 3 IN. OVER A 6 FT. LENGTH. THE BOTTOM OF THE PIPE WAS FLATTENED AND A CRACK WAS FOUND IN THE BENT SECTION OF THE PIPE. IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING A PRIOR EXCAVATION AND THAT MOVEMENT CAUSED BY THE DEEP FROST LEVELS OBSERVED THIS WINTER CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE PIPE. ONE-CALL CENTER RECORDS DO NOT INDICATE ANY RECENT LOCATE TICKET REQUESTS AND IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE EXCAVATION ACTIVITY THAT DAMAGED THE PIPE OCCURRED MANY YEARS AGO. A NEW PE MAIN WAS INSTALLED ON LAKESHORE WAY AND GAS SERVICE TO THE AFFECTED PROPERTY WAS RESTORED ON 2/14/14. A FORMAL INCIDENT REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED ON 2/21/14. PARTICIPANTS IN THE REVIEW INCLUDED GAS DISTRIBUTION WORKERS AT THE SCENE AFTER THE FIRE WAS REPORTED AND OTHER COMPANY PERSONNEL WHO ASSISTED AT THE SCENE. PIPELINE SAFETY ENGINEERS FROM THE WPSC, ONE OF WHOM HAD INSPECTED THE SITE THE DAY AFTER THE FIRE, ALSO ATTENDED. THE REVIEW RECOUNTED THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY EACH PARTICIPANT AND INCLUDED COMMUNICATIONS CONDUCTED AMONG INVOLVED PERSONNEL. WE ENERGIES IS PERFORMING MORE LEAK SURVEYS BEYOND THOSE REQUIRED IN CFR 49, PART 192 ON SIMILAR TYPE FACILITIES BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME WINTER CONDITIONS IN OUR SERVICE TERRITOR