METROPOLITAN UTILITIES DISTRICT

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 0600HRS THE METROPOLITAN UTITLITES DISTRICT WAS NOTIFIED BY THE OMAHA FIRE DEPT. OF A WORKING FIRE AT 4213 S 13TH ST.. DISTRICT PERSONNEL ARRIVED AND ASSISTED THE OFD IN SHUTTING OFF THE GAS TO THIS RESIDENCE. IT WAS THEN DETERMINED THAT IT APPEARD THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL OF A NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION/IGNITION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT/LOSS. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE IGNITION SOURCE OR THE AREA WHERE GAS MAY HAVE BEEN RELEASED HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AS OF YET. ON 3/14/12 THERE WILL BE A COMBINED INVESTIGATION WITH SEVERAL PARTIES OF INTEREST TO TRY AND LOCATE THE ORIGIN OF THE LEAK AND OR THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS. 10/11/12- OUR INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE COCK VALVE ON THE INSIDE OF THE DWELLING HAD A LEAK IN THE PACKING AND THE GAS ESCAPED THE COCK VALVE AND MIGRATED TOWARDS THE FURNACE AREA OF THE DWELLING. DUE TO THE HOUSE BEING VACANT AND VENELATION WAS MINIMAL THERE ENDED UP BEING A BUILD UP IN THE FURNACE AREA AND WHEN THE FURNACE CYCLED IT IGNITED THE GAS AND THE RESULT OF THIS IGNITION WAS THE LOSS OF THIS DWELLING. THE GAS SERVICE TO THE DWELLING WAS ABANDONED AT THE MAIN ON THE DAY OF THE LOSS AND THE DWELLING SINCE HAS BEEN TORN DOWN DUE TO THE LOSS. 10/22/12- THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THE INSIDE METER, THE OPERATOR OWNED COCK VALVE LEAKED IN THE PACKING AND RELEASED NATURAL GAS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. THE NATURAL GAS THAT WAS RELEASED, WHICH WAS THE FUEL SOURCE,IGNITED WHEN THE FURNACE CYCLED AND THE RESULT WAS THE LOSS THAT WAS BEEN REPORTED. OUR INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED IN REGARD TO THIS MATTER AND THIS ENTRY SHALL SERVE AS OUR FINAL ENTRY IN REGARD TO THIS MATTER. 11/10/14- MUD HAS CONTINUED ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE AND, AS A RESULT, NOW DRAWS A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION THAN PREVIOUSLY ENTERED ON THIS REPORT. AS A RESULT OF THIS CONTINUED INVESTIGATION, MUD BELIEVES THAT THE PRIMARY GAS SOURCE THAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE WAS THE INLET SWIVEL AND NOT THE GAS COCK VALVE. THIS CONCLUSION IS BASED UPON THE CONDITION OF THE METER, THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIRE WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MUD PERSONAL ARRIVED ON SCENE AND MUD EMPLOYEE'S EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF GAS AND GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS. MUD BELIEVES THAT THE ONLY WAY THE INLET SWIVEL COULD HAVE HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK WAS FOR THE INLET SWIVEL TO HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY LOOSENED FROM THE GAS METER. MUD BELIEVES THAT THE GAS COCK VALVE MOST LIKELY BECAME LOOSENED AS A RESULT OF THE EXTREME HEAT FROM THE INITIAL EXPLOSION AND RESULTING FIRE BUT THAT THE GAS COCK VALVE DID NOT CAUSE THE EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. MUD'S INVESTIGATION IS NOW CLOSED WITH RESPECT TO THIS MATTER AND IS THE SUBJECT OF ONGOING LITIGATION BETWEEN THE HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE PROVIDER AND MUD.