MICHIGAN CONSOLIDATED GAS CO (MICHCON)

Incident Narrative

A STRUCTURE FIRE AT 15098 LAHSER WAS REPORTED TO MICHCON BY THE DETROIT FIRE DEPT. A MICHCON EMERGENCY RESPONSE TECHNICIAN FOUND A PRIVATE VEHICLE LODGED IN THE SOUTH WALL OF THE SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE APPROX 40 FEET FROM THE ROADWAY. WITNESSES REPORTED THE VEHICLE TRAVELLING NORTH AT 60-80 MPH MOMENTS BEFORE IMPACT AND, HAVING DISREGARDED A TRAFFIC SIGNAL APPROX ONE-HALF BLOCK TO THE SOUTH, JUMPED THE CURB AND LEFT THE ROADWAY PRIOR TO STRIKING THE LAHSER RESIDENCE, BREACHING THE OUTSIDE WALL, AND COMING TO REST INSIDE A BEDROOM. FIRE IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE ENGULFED THE RESIDENCE AND THE VEHICLE. EIGHT PERSONS IN THE RESIDENCE SELF-EVACUATED WITHOUT INJURY. WITNESSES WERE UNABLE TO EXTRICATE THE VEHICLE DRIVER, WHO DIED AT THE SCENE FROM ACCIDENTAL INJURIES, FROM THE FIRE, OR A COMBINATION OF THESE. A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL AND UNDERWENT SURGERY FOR INJURIES. A THIRD OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE REPORTEDLY FLED THE SCENE ON FOOT. ALCOHOL WAS SUSPECTED AS PLAYING A ROLE IN THE CRASH. BOTH THE VEHICLE AND THE RESIDENCE WERE TOTAL LOSSES. THE VEHICLE HAD STRUCK THE MICHCON GAS SERVICE RISER AND METER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SOUTH WALL OF THE RESIDENCE. THE STEEL PIPE CONNECTIONS AT THE SERVICE REGULATOR INLET AS WELL AS THE INLET OF THE UNION CONNECTION TO THE CUSTOMER'S FUEL PIPING WERE CRACKED AND COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE SERVICE RISER AND THE FUEL CONNECTION, RESPECTIVELY. THE SERVICE REGULATOR AND METER ASSEMBLY WERE CATAPULTED INTO THE ADJACENT VACANT YARD, AND NATURAL GAS LEAKING FROM THE BREACHED SERVICE RISER IGNITED AND APPEARS TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIRE. RESCUERS HAD PULLED THE CRASHED VEHICLE FROM THE SIDE OF THE RESIDENCE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH THE DECEASED DRIVER; THE MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM THE BUILDING CAUGHT THE REMAINDER OF THE LEAKING PLASTIC SERVICE RISER AND BENT IT AT 90 DEGREES AWAY FROM THE BUILDING, CRIMPING AND PARTIALLY CLOSING OFF THE PLASTIC TUBING AND LIMITING THE ESCAPING GAS. MICHCON PERSONNEL ARRIVING TO THE SCENE TEMPORARILY CAPPED THE DAMAGED SERVICE RISER AT THE BUILDING WALL TO ELIMINATE THE LEAK, THEN CUT OFF AND PERMANENTLY ABANDONED THE REMAINDER OF THE SERVICE LINE AT THE MAIN LATER THAT SAME EVENING. THE SERVICE LINE WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO OPERATION. NO SIGN OF A PRE-EXISTING GAS LEAK WAS FOUND AT THIS RESIDENCE, AT EITHER OF THE TWO ON EITHER SIDE, OR AT ANY OF THE THREE IMMEDIATELY ACROSS THE STREET.