CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

ON MONDAY, 12/13/10, THE NYC FIRE DEPARTMENT (FDNY) REPORTED AN EXPLOSION IN A BAKERY TO THE GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC). GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS) CREWS WERE DISPATCHED AND UPON ARRIVAL GDS FOUND THE FDNY HAD EVACUATED 4 BUILDINGS TOTALING 8 PEOPLE. FIVE OF THE EVACUEES WERE TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN AREA HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE FDNY HAD TURNED OFF 8 GAS METERS IN 3 BUILDINGS (# 3974, 3976 & 3978 WHITE PLAINS ROAD). THE EXPLOSION INVOLVED AN INDUSTRIAL OVEN IN THE BAKERY(# 3978 WHITE PLAINS ROAD) WHICH SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE BUT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE INTERIOR, AND SOME EXTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE BAKERY. THE ADJACENT BUILDINGS WERE NOT AFFECTED. GDS CHECKED THE GAS PRESSURE IN THE BAKERY AND FOUND 8.8"" WC WITH NO LOAD. THERE WERE NO NATURAL GAS READINGS INSIDE ANY OF THE CONNECTED BUILDINGS. THE FDNY'S INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE CUSTOMER-OWNED EQUIPMENT (COMMERCIAL OVEN) WAS THE SOURCE OF THE EXPLOSION. THE CUSTOMER HAD TROUBLE WITH THE OVEN ON THURSDAY 12/9/10 AND HAD IT SERVICED THAT DAY. THE OVEN WAS USED WITHOUT PROBLEMS ON FRIDAY 12/10/10 AND SATURDAY 12/11/10. ON MONDAY 12/13/10, WHEN BAKERY PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO LIGHT THE OVEN IT EXPLODED.