PEOPLES GAS LIGHT & COKE CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 19:27 HOURS ON NOVEMBER 28, 2010, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AT A SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE LOCATED AT 12245 SOUTH ADA STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (""PREMISES""). THE EXPLOSION DESTROYED THE PREMISES AND DAMAGED THE HOUSES ON EITHER SIDE (RESPECTIVELY, 12241 AD 12249 SOUTH ADA). PEOPLES GAS' RECORDS FOR THE PREMISES SHOW THAT THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO THE PREMISES WAS SHUT-OFF AT THE BUFFALO BOX (VALVE BOX) OUTSIDE THE PREMISES IN JUNE OF 2009, AND THAT THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN RESTORED BY PEOPLES GAS BETWEEN THE JUNE 2009 SHUT-OFF AND THE DATE OF THIS OCCURRENCE. PEOPLES GAS EMPLOYEES RESPONDING TO THE NOTICE OF THE EXPLOSION FROM THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUND THE SERVICE VALVE IN THE BUFFALO BOX IN THE ""ON"" POSITION. IN THE BASEMENT OF THE PREMISES, THERE WAS AN UNCAPPED, OPEN SECTION OF 1/2 INCH CUSTOMER PIPING THAT APPEARS TO BE THE SOURCE OF A GAS LEAK INSIDE THE PREMISES. NO LEAKS FROM ANY NATURAL GAS FACILITIES OF PEOPLES GAS WERE FOUND. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS WHICH PEOPLES GAS HAS BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN DO NOT INDICATE THAT ANY PERSON WAS EVACUATED. PEOPLES GAS DID NOT EVACUATE ANYONE. ON THE EVENING OF THE INCIDENT, PEOPLES GAS WAS ADVISED THAT 3 INDIVIDUALS WERE REMOVED FROM THE SCENE BY AMBULANCE AND WERE HOSPITALIZED. THE POLICE REPORT INDICATES THAT 4 OCCUPANTS OF A RESIDENCE IN THE 12200 BLOCK OF SOUTH ADA (ADDRESS REDACTED IN REPORT) WITH MINOR INJURIES WERE REMOVED FROM THE SCENE BY AMBULANCE. PEOPLES GAS WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT OCCUPANTS (UNKNOWN NUMBER) OF THE PREMISES OF 12241 S. ADA AND 12249 S. ADA SPENT THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 28, 2010 IN A MOTEL.