DOMINION EAST OHIO

Incident Narrative

ON AUGUST 10, 2010 A HOME LOCATED AT 1136 CARVER RD, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH WAS INVOLVED IN A FIRE. THE SERVICE LINE ENTERS THE HOME UNDERGROUND THROUGH THE GARAGE FLOOR TO A GAS METER LOCATED IN THE GARAGE. THE HOMEOWNER STATED THAT HE HAD SMELLED AN ODOR OF GAS IN THE EARLY MORNING BUT DISMISSED IT AS FUEL LEAKING FROM ONE OF THE CARS IN THE GARAGE. HOMEOWNER LEFT THE HOME FOR THE DAY AND RETURNED LATE EVENING ONCE AGAIN SMELLING AN ODOR OF GAS. HOMEOWNER NOTIFIED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND DOMINION OF THE ODOR AT APPROXIMATELY 22:15 THAT EVENING. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT 22:21 AND OBSERVED A FIRE IN THE GARAGE AND ATTIC OF THE STRUCTURE. DOMINION WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE IMMEDIATELY AND ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 22:36. BURNING GAS WAS OBSERVED AT CRACKS BETWEEN THE GARAGE FLOOR/GARAGE WALL AND IN THE ATTIC SPACE ABOVE GAS METER. GAS WAS SHUT OFF AT THE CURB VALVE AT APPROXIMATELY 22:45. ON AUGUST 11, 2010 DOMINION TESTED THE SERVICE LINE AT 7 OUNCES OPERATING PRESSURE, SERVICE FAILED TO HOLD PRESSURE. ON AUGUST 11, 2010, THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR ALONG WITH DOMINION AND THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR REMOVED A PORTION OF THE SERVICE LINE FROM THE GAS METER TO OUTSIDE THE GARAGE WALL FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. ON NOVEMBER 30, 2010, THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR ALONG WITH DOMINION PERFORMED TESTING OF THE PORTION OF SERVICE LINE REMOVED. RESULTS INDICATE GENERAL CORROSION AT A THREADED JOINT OF PIPE AND A 90 DEGREE ELBOW CAUSING THE LEAKAGE.