SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 14TH, 2014, SOCALGAS RESPONDED TO A GAS FIRE AT A RESIDENCE REPORTED BY HEMET FIRE DEPARTMENT. UPON ARRIVAL THE FD WAS MONITORING AND CONTROLLING THE FIRE BURNING IN THE YARD NEAR THE SIDE WALK WHERE THE SERVICE WAS LOCATED AND HAD EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE TO THE HOUSE. SOCALGAS EXCAVATED AND PINCHED THE SERVICE TO STOP THE GAS FLOW. A SO CAL EDISON CREW WORKING NEAR THE RESIDENCE REPORTED THAT HIGH WINDS HAD CAUSED TWO POWER LINES TO COME IN CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE EDISON CREW SAID THIS CAUSED THE NEARBY TRANSFORMER TO BLOW CAUSING 12,000 VOLTS TO GO TO GROUND. THE CUSTOMER OF THE INVOLVED RESIDENCE REPORTED THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE (PRESUMABLY THE TRANSFORMER) AND THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE HOME FLASHED OFF AND ON BEFORE FINALLY REMAINING OFF. A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR KNOCKED ON THEIR DOOR AND ADVISED THAT THEIR HOUSE WAS ON FIRE AND TO GET OUT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. AFTER EXCAVATING THE RESIDENCE'S SERVICE LINE, A 1/2"" DIAMETER HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 3/4"" STEEL SERVICE LINE NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE FIRE HAD BEEN LOCATED. THE SERVICE LINE WAS 1/4"" ABOVE A CAST IRON SEWER LINE AND THE ELECTRICITY LIKELY ARCED BETWEEN THESE TWO LINES CAUSING THE DAMAGE. A CROSS-SECTION OF THE SERVICE LINE SHOWED THE STEEL WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN RESTORED TO THIS ADDRESS AS THE HOME OWNER IS MAKING REPAIRS FROM THE FIRE DAMAGE. SERVICE WILL BE RESTORED ONCE REQUESTED. IN ADDITION TO THIS LOCATION, THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS LEAK SURVEYED ON JAN 14TH, TO ENSURE NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS ELECTRICAL INCIDENT. A MINOR LEAK WAS DETECTED ON A 3/4"" STEEL SERVICE IN THE PARKWAY OF 407 ACACIA AVE IMMEDIATELY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE DAMAGED TRANSFORMER. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT RELATED TO THIS ELECTRICAL INCIDENT AND WAS REPAIRED BY MEANS OF A CLAMP JAN 15TH. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT AND CPUC DUE TO THE ESTIMATED DAMAGE COST ESTIMATED AT OVER $50,000.