PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC & GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2012, PSE&G RESPONDED TO A GAS EMERGENCY CALL INVOLVING A GAS IGNITION. THE INITIAL CALL CAME IN FROM THE ORANGE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT 17:09, AS A HOUSE FIRE AT 272 REOCK AVE, ORANGE; THE FIRE CHIEF STATED GAS WAS NOT INVOLVED, AND THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY SQUATTERS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED WHEN ONE OF THE SQUATTERS LIT A MATCH, WHICH IGNITED LEAKING GAS, ORIGINATING FROM GAS PIPING REMOVED FROM THE HEAD OF AN INSIDE METER SET. THE GAS METER, INLET VALVE AND ASSOCIATED PIPING WERE ALL REMOVED BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON, ON AN UNKNOWN DATE, PRIOR TO THE FIRE. AN APPLIANCE SERVICE TECH RESPONDED AND SHUT THE GAS OFF AT THE CURB AT 17:40 ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2012. A STREET CREW WAS DISPATCHED, AND THE GAS SERVICE TO 272 REOCK AVE WAS CUT AT THE CURB AT 19:00. TWO PEOPLE, (NAMES UNKNOWN) SQUATTERS, WERE INJURED, ONE BY THE FIRE, ONE WAS INJURED JUMPING OUT A WINDOW TO ESCAPE THE FIRE. THE HOME IN QUESTION WAS VACATED BY THE OWNER, AND THE INJURED PARTIES WERE TRESPASSING ON THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. PSE&G HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CONFIRM ANY INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF THEIR INJURIES DUE TO PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY LAWS.