NEW YORK STATE ELECTRIC & GAS CORP

Incident Narrative

ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 2, 2022, NYSEG COMPANY PERSONNEL INVESTIGATING A GAS ODOR COMPLAINT AT 2586 CARMEL AVE, BREWSTER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE RESIDENCE NEXT DOOR AT 2592 CARMEL AVE (""THE RESIDENCE""). NYSEG PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE SERVICE LINE TO THE RESIDENCE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE IT WAS EXTINGUISHED. ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE RESIDENCE ESCAPED AND, TO NYSEG'S KNOWLEDGE, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AT THAT TIME. AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, NYSEG CONDUCTED A LEAK SURVEY OF THE SURROUNDING AREA AND IDENTIFIED A LEAK IN THE GAS MAIN AT A PERMALOCK TAPPING TEE APPROXIMATELY 20 FT - 30 FT FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE RESIDENCE. THE PERMALOCK TAPPING TEE WAS MANUFACTURED BY PERFECTION CORPORATION (NOW KNOWN AS EAMCO, LLC), WHICH IS TODAY A SUBSIDIARY OF HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC. AFTER THE FIRE THE COMPANY CONDUCTED PRESSURE TESTS AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO LEAKS IN THE SERVICE LINE TO THE RESIDENCE. FACTS LEARNED THROUGH THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION RAISE QUESTIONS AS TO THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE FIRE. SPECIFICALLY, NYSEG LEARNED THAT A NEW FURNACE WAS INSTALLED IN THE RESIDENCE'S BASEMENT BY A CONTRACTOR UNAFFILIATED WITH NYSEG THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRE. ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS SHARED WITH THE COMPANY BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOMEOWNER'S INSURER, THE TENANTS OF 2592 CARMEL AVE STARTED SMELLING GAS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE NEW FURNACE WAS INSTALLED AND THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRE, HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT NOTIFY NYSEG BECAUSE THE INSTALLER HAD TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS ""NORMAL."" THIS MATTER IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF MULTIPLE CIVIL LAWSUITS FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE IN WHICH THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF DISCOVERY AND EXPERT TESTIMONY. THE COMPANY DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE CAUSE TO REPORT WITHIN THE REQUIRED 30 DAYS. ALTHOUGH THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION AND CURRENTLY THE SUBJECT OF LITIGATION, THE COMPANY IS MAKING THIS FILING NOW IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AND TO THE EXTENT IT MEETS THE CRITERIA SET FORTH UNDER 49 CFR PART 191.3(3).