PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 14:17 HOURS ON 8/19/10 A 3RD-PARTY CONTRACTOR WORKING FOR THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS STRUCK AND CAUSED TO LEAK A 3/4-INCH STEEL GAS SERVICE WHILE USING A CONCRETE SAW TO CUT THROUGH PAVEMENT TO REPAIR A WATER MAIN AT 17979 LA BARRANCHA ROAD. THE CONTRACTOR HAD A VALID USA TICKET, THE AREA WAS PROPERLY DELINEATED AND THE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES WERE CORRECTLY MARKED. THE 3/4-INCH SERVICE, WHICH WAS INSTALLED IN 1967, WAS APPROXIMATELY 6-INCHES BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE PAVEMENT. THE CONTRACTOR HAD PUT TRAFFIC CONES OVER THE AREA OF LEAKING GAS PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF PG&E. AT APPROXIMATELY 15:21 A GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (GSR) ARRIVED ON SCENE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A US POSTAL SERVICE TRUCK WAS DRIVING TOWARD THE LOCATION OF THE GAS LEAK. PERSONNEL ON SCENE WAIVED TO THE POSTAL WORKER DRIVING THE TRUCK, ATTEMPTING TO WARN THE DRIVER NOT TO PROCEED INTO THE CONNED AREA. THE DRIVER, HOWEVER, PROCEEDED TO PARK THE TRUCK IN THE AREA OF THE LEAK. THE GSR ON SCENE RAN TO THE TRUCK AND PULLED THE POSTAL WORKER FROM THE TRUCK AS THE TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE. THE TTRUCK APPEARS TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE IGNITION AND WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. PG&E GAS CREWS ARRIVED ON SITE AT 16:05 HOURS AND SHUTOFF THE FLOW OF GAS AT 16:21 HOURS. THERE WAS SERVICE INTERRUPTION TO ONE CUSTOMER WHICH WAS RESTORED AT 04:41 HOURS ON 8/20/10. THIS INCIDENT IS REPORTABLE DUE TO DAMAGES EXCEEDING $50,000 AND THE PRESENCE OF MAJOR MEDIA.