PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 1551 HOURS, THE SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTIFIED PG&E OF A GAS RELEASE DUE TO AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT 2811 SAN BRUNO AVE IN SAN FRANCISCO. THE PROPERTY IS AN UNOCCUPIED BUILDING UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION AND APPEARS TO BE A MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE. A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR DUG A BELL HOLE CLOSE TO THE FACE OF THE INCIDENT BUILDING TO EXPOSE THE WATER AND GAS LINES. THE CONTRACTOR WAS SWEATING A COPPER WATER SERVICE LINE WITHOUT SHIELDING PG&E'S 1-INCH PLASTIC GAS SERVICE LINE WHEN AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED. IT APPEARS THAT THE SWEATING TORCH MELTED THE GAS LINE, RELEASING GAS WHICH RESULTED IN THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE. THE CONTRACTOR DID NOT HOLD A VALID USA TICKET. TRAFFIC WAS REROUTED AND THE AREA WAS BLOCKED OFF. APPROXIMATELY 20 PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORING DENTAL OFFICE WERE EVACUATED. PG&E GSR WAS ONSITE AT 1615 HOURS AND FIELD CREWS STOPPED THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE INCIDENT BUILDING AT 1750 HOURS BY DIGGING AND SQUEEZING THE SERVICE LINE AT THE DISTRIBUTION MAIN. NO FATALITIES; FIVE TOTAL CUSTOMERS WERE OUT OF SERVICE; ONE OF THE THREE CONTRACTORS PRESENT WAS INJURED AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND DAMAGES ARE ESTIMATED ABOVE $50,000 DEEMING THIS INCIDENT REPORTABLE TO DOT & CPUC. MAJOR TV MEDIA CHANNELS 2, 4, 5 & 7 WERE PRESENT. A LEAK SURVEY OF SERVICES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 2800 BLOCK OF SAN BRUNO AVE WAS PERFORMED THE SAME NIGHT AS THE INCIDENT AND NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED. ONE CUSTOMER WAS RELIT BY 2100 HOURS ON 6/12/12 AND THE OTHER FOUR SERVICES WILL BE RELIT ONCE THE APPROPRIATE REPAIRS ARE COMPLETE AND AFTER THE CUSTOMERS REQUEST NEW SERVICE.