DTE GAS COMPANY

Incident Narrative

AT 05:38, FIRE DEPT NOTIFIED DTE GAS OF A RESIDENTIAL FIRE. FIRST CREW ARRIVED AT 06:17. INITIAL FIRE WAS CAUSED BY LIGHTNING OR DOWNED POWER LINE. BETWEEN 07:30 AND 11:00, SEVERAL SMALL GAS LEAKS WERE DISCOVERED. NRC WAS NOTIFIED AT 11:25, AND MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISION AT 11:36. MULTIPLE HOUSES ALONG 14 MILE NE BECAME ENERGIZED BY THE LIGHTNING STRIKE OR DOWNED POWER LINE. THE ELECTRICAL SURGE LOCALLY ENERGIZED CABLES WITHIN HOMES, CAUSING FIRE DAMAGE. THE ELECTRICAL SURGE ALSO LOCALLY AFFECTED GAS SERVICE TRACER WIRES. TRACER WIRE DAMAGE TO PLASTIC GAS SERVICES RESULTED IN PINHOLE TYPE LEAKS. THE THREE AFFECTED SERVICE LINES THAT WERE COMPROMISED BY HOUSE FIRE AND SURGES TO TRACER WIRES WERE FULLY RENEWED WITHIN 24 HOURS. THE THREE AFFECTED RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES WERE 10509 14 MILE RD NE, 10567 14 MILE RD NE, AND 10611 14 MILE RD NE. ALL THREE SERVICES WERE 5/8"" HD PLASTIC INSTALLED IN 1981 OR 1988. TOTAL GAS LOSS IS MINIMAL DUE TO SIZE OF LEAKS AND ESTIMATED AT 25 MCF. AT 10611 14 MILE, A SMALL, PINHOLE LEAK WAS FOUND BURNED INTO THE SERVICE APPROXIMATELY 30' FROM THE HOME, BUT THE FIRE WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE, NOT THE OUTSIDE. AT 10567 14 MILE, THIS HOUSE HAD ALUMINUM SIDING THAT BECAME ENERGIZED. THE ELECTRICITY ARC'D FROM THE SIDING TO THE TRACER WIRE WHICH THEN WENT BELOW GRADE AND BURNED A SMALL HOLE IN THE SERVICE LINE. FIRE WAS ON OUTSIDE OF HOUSE INCLUDING METER MANIFOLD. AT 10509 14 MILE, SERVICE WAS ALSO RENEWED AS PRECAUTION. ALL THREE RESIDENCES HAD SERVICES RENEWED.