CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 2, 2013 AT 06:58 GAS ENGINEERING REPORTED A BUILDING FIRE IN THE BRONX AT AN UNKNOWN LOCATION TO THE GAS EMERGENCY REPSONSE CENTER (GERC) PER NEWS REPORTS. THE GERC CONTACTED THE FDNY WHO CONFIRMED A 4 ALARM FIRE IN-PROGRESS AT 685 E 226 ST. GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS), THE ELECTRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, GAS CONSTRUCTION, GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE GROUP (ERG) AND SUPERVISION WERE DISPATCHED. UPON INITIAL INVESTIGATION AT 07:23 GDS REPORTED A POSSIBLE GAS FED FIRE IN A LAUNDROMAT AT 3985 WHITE PLAINS RD. ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION CREWS, THE LAW DEPARTMENT., AND A PHOTOGRAPHER WERE DISPATCHED. THE FIRE EXTENDED TO ALL THE BUILDINGS ON THE WEST SIDE OF WHITE PLAINS ROAD BETWEEN E 225 ST & E 226 ST. AND AT 07:46 THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF NEW YORK (FDNY) DECLARED A 5 ALARM CONDITION. AT 07:51 GDS CLOSED A 6"" LOW PRESSURE POLYETHYLENE (LPPE) VALVE 8987 TO ISOLATE THE SOUTHERN GAS SUPPLY FROM E 225 ST. AT 09:49 IT WAS REPORTED PER FDNY CHIEF ESPOSITO THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE GAS FED IN BUILDINGS # 3983 AND #3985 WHITE PLAINS RD. GAS CONSTRUCTION EXCAVATED IN FRONT OF 4013 WHITE PLAINS ROAD AND 674 E 226 ST AND INSTALLED STOPPERS IN THE 6"" LP GAS MAINS TO ISOLATE THE NORTHERN GAS SUPPLY. THIS ISOLATION INTERRUPTED 15 SERVICES ; 31 CUSTOMERS AT 09:55. MULTIPLE MEDIA OUTLETS RESPONDED TO LOCATION. THE FDNY FIRE MARSHAL INVESTIGATED AND REPORTED THE FIRE BEGAN IN A DETACHED GARAGE TO BUILDING 685 E 225 ST. AND SPREAD TO THE ADJACENT ROW OF STORES; THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO NATURAL GAS. THE REPORTED GAS IGNITION WAS SECONDARY IGNITION ONLY, AFTER THE GAS METERS WERE DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF INJURIES AND THE REPORTED PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS WELL IN EXCESS OF $50,000. THE US DOT, NYS PSC AND NYC DEP WERE NOTIFIED AND THE PSC RESPONDED TO LOCATION. THIS WAS AN UPGRADED LEVEL INCIDENT.