MEMPHIS LIGHT GAS & WATER DIVISION

Incident Narrative

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 1636 THE MEMPHIS FIRE DEPARTMENT (MFD) REQUESTED OF MEMPHIS LIGHT GAS AND WATER DIVISION (MLGW) TO SEND A FIRST RESPONDER (GAS) TO A FIRE CALL AT 1020 DAVID STREET IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE AND COUNTY OF SHELBY. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON NOTIFIED DISPATCH TO SEND A GAS DISTRIBUTION CREW TO TERMINATE THE GAS SERVICE AT THE STREET BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS CONSUMING THE CAR AND HOUSE IN THE AREA WHERE THE GAS METER USED TO BE. AN SUV TYPE VEHICLE DRIVEN BY WILLIAM TERRANCE FREEMAN LEFT THE STREET, JUMPED THE CURB, RAN THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE HITTING AND DESTROYING THE GAS METER WHILE ENTERING THE SOUTH WALL OF THE HOUSE. THIS VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TO TEN FEET INSIDE THE HOUSE. THE LEAKING NATURAL GAS WAS IGNITED BY THE VEHICLE AND QUICKLY SPREAD TO THE HOUSE. MR. FREEMAN WAS BURNED AND WAS ABLE TO GET OUT THE VEHICLE BUT HAD TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE TO EXIT AND ESCAPE THE FIRE. FIRE PREVENTED MR. FREEMAN FROM EXITING THE HOUSE THE SAME WAY HE ENTERED. THREE OTHER PEOPLE WERE IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WHEN THE VEHICLE CRASH OCCURRED, ALL ESCAPED WITH NO INJURIES. MFD KNOCKED THE FIRE DOWN WITHIN THE STRUCTURE AND MLGW PERSONNEL ELIMINATED THE BLOWING GAS BY TERMINATING GAS SERVICE TO THE HOUSE. MR. FREEMAN WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE MED WHERE HE WAS KEPT OVERNIGHT FOR TREATMENT TO BURNS HE RECEIVED IN THIS INCIDENT.