WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO
gas_distribution Incident — FALLS CHURCH, VA — December 29, 2010
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 29, 2010 |
| Operator | WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | FALLS CHURCH |
| State | VA |
| County | FAIRFAX |
| Coordinates | 38.84606, -77.13995 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | "NEARBY INDUSTRIAL, MAN-MADE, OR OTHER FIRE/EXPLOSION AS PRIMARY CAUSE OF INCIDENT" |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $150 |
| Emergency Response | $2,700 |
| Other Costs | $75,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"WASHINGTON GAS RESPONDED TO THE SCENE OF A HOUSE FIRE AT 6010 COLUMBIA PIKE IN FALLS CHURCH, VA ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2010, AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAIRFAX COUNTY FIRE BOARD. UPON ARRIVAL, WASHINGTON GAS FOUND THE GAS OFF BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT THE INSIDE METER VALVE. A WASHINGTON GAS CREW ALSO TURNED THE GAS OFF AT THE CURB VALVE. A 360-DEGREE UNDERGROUND MIGRATION SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED AND NO LEAK INDICATIONS WERE FOUND. THE SERVICE WAS EXCAVATED AND CAPPED OFF AT THE CURB VALVE. A PRESSURE TEST WAS CONDUCTED ON THE SERVICE FROM THE CAPPED OFF LOCATION TO THE INSIDE METER VALVE AND NO LEAK INDICATIONS WERE FOUND. AN ODORANT SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AND THE LEVEL OF ODORANT WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE. WASHINGTON GAS HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FAIRFAX FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FOUND THAT THE FIRE WAS STARTED BY A CANDLE ON A BED IN THE BASEMENT. DAMAGE TO WASHINGTON GAS FACILITIES 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.