WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO
gas_distribution Incident — HYATTSVILLE, MD — January 19, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 19, 2011 |
| Operator | WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | HYATTSVILLE |
| State | MD |
| County | PRINCE GEORGE'S |
| Coordinates | 38.94869, -76.94807 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | "NEARBY INDUSTRIAL, MAN-MADE, OR OTHER FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE OF INCIDENT" |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 4 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $200 |
| Emergency Response | $7,000 |
| Other Costs | $270,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"WASHINGTON GAS WAS NOTIFIED BY THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY FIRE BOARD OF A HOUSE FIRE AT 4709 40TH AVENUE, HYATTSVILLE, MD, ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2011 AT 4:06 AM. WASHINGTON GAS PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT 4:30 AM. CREWS FOUND GAS TURNED OFF AT THE OUTSIDE METER VALVE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. GAS WAS NOTED AT THE FRONT BUILDING WALL OVER SERVICE LINE DUE HEAT EXPOSURE TO RISER FROM HOUSE FIRE. WASHINGTON GAS SQUEEZED-OFF THE GAS SERVICE APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET FROM FRONT BUILDING WALL. NO GAS IGNITION OCCURRED. A 360 DEGREE BAR AND TEST SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED AROUND THE STRUCTURE AND OVER THE SERVICE LINE AND MAIN. NO LEAK INDICATIONS WERE FOUND. AN ODORANT SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AND THE LEVEL OF ODORANT WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE. THE SERVICE WAS CAPPED OFF AT THE MAIN AND THE SERVICE LINE WAS PRESSURE TESTED ON JANUARY 24, 2011. NO LEAK INDICATIONS WERE FOUND. DISCUSSIONS ON SITE WITH FIRE PERSONNEL ON DAY OF INCIDENT INDICATED PRELIMINARY FINDINGS WERE SUGGESTING POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. WASHINGTON GAS FACILITY INVOLVEMENT WAS SECONDARY."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.