MONTANA - DAKOTA UTILITIES CO

Incident Narrative

ON FEBRUARY 10, 2023, AT 04:24 AM, MONTANA DAKOTA UTILITIES (MDU) RECEIVED A CALL REPORTING A HOUSE FIRE AT 1414 DEGEEST DRIVE IN RAPID CITY SOUTH DAKOTA. UPON ARRIVAL THE MDU SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN A RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK AN OUTSIDE METER SET ON THE HOUSE, SHEARING OFF THE RISER AT GROUND LEVEL, CAUSING A RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS THAT IGNITED. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT SURVIVE, AND 4 RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSE WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FOUR RESIDENTS OF 1414 DEGEEST DR WERE EVACUATED, OCCUPANTS AT 1426 DEGEEST DR AND 1392 DEGEEST DR WERE ALSO EVACUATED. NUMBER OF PEOPLE EVACUATED IN PART A IS AN ESTIMATE AS NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS FROM 1426 DEGEEST AND 1392 DEGEEST IS UNKNOWN AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT. GAS SERVICE TO 1414 DEGEEST DR AND 1426 DEGEEST DR WAS LOST DURING THE INCIDENT. GAS SERVICE TO 1426 DEGEEST DR WAS RESTORED AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM. GAS SERVICE TO 1414 DEGEEST DR HAS BEEN RETIRED. THE HOME AT 1414 DEGEEST WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE HOUSE AT 1426 DEGEEST SUSTAINED DAMAGE, A CAMPER AT THIS LOCATION WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THREE 3 VEHICLES SUSTAINED DAMAGE. UPDATE: APRIL 12, 2023- THE POLICE REPORT INDICATED THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WAS ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH USING INFORMATION FROM A WITNESS. POLICE REPORT INDICATES THE INJURIES TO THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RESULTING FIRE PROVED TO BE FATAL. NO INDICATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE FATALITY IN THE POLICE OR FIRE REPORT. THE FIRE REPORT INDICATES ACCESS TO THE VEHICLE AFTER THE GAS LINE WAS CLAMPED AND THE FIRE WAS CONTROLLED ALLOWING RECOVERY OF THE VICTIM. THE NUMBER OF REPORTED INJURIES VARIES FROM 2 TO 5 INDIVIDUALS ON THE POLICE, FIRE, AND COMPANY FIRST RESPONDER REPORTS. NO INFORMATION IN THE REPORTS COULD CONFIRM IF THE INJURIES REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION. THE HOUSES AT 1414 DEGEEST DR, 1426 DEGEEST AND 1392 DEGEEST DR. WERE EVACUATED BY UNKNOWN PERSONS. THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS EVACUATED IS AN ESTIMATE AS NO SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF EVACUATIONS IS INCLUDED IN THE POLICE OR FIRE REPORTS. THE POLICE REPORT INDICATES TOTAL LOSS OR DAMAGE TO 1 CAMPER TRAILER, 1 UTILITY TRAILER, AND 6 VEHICLES. ESTIMATED VALUE OF TRAILERS AND VEHICLES - $100,000. UPDATED THE ESTIMATED PROPERTY DAMAGE INFORMATION, USING INFORMATION FROM POLICE AND FIRE REPORTS. 1414 DEGEEST DR. - $500,000 INCLUDING POSSESSIONS, 1426 DEGEEST DR. - $100,000 AND 1392 DEGEEST DR. - $50,000 TOTAL ESTIMATED LOSS TO NON-OPERATOR - $750,000