WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

ON DECEMBER 16, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1213 HOURS WASHINGTON GAS WAS NOTIFIED OF A GAS FED FIRE IN FRONT OF 7224 ANNAPOLIS ROAD, HYATTSVILLE, MD. WASHINGTON GAS DISPATCHED CREWS TO THE LOCATION WHO ARRIVED AND PERFORMED AN ASSESSMENT OF SITUATION, WHICH RESULTED IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN 8"" WRPD MAIN LINE THAT WAS FEEDING THE CONTROLLED FIRE. NO WASHINGTON GAS CREWS, OR CONTRACTORS WERE WORKING AT THIS LOCATION AT THE TIME OF IGNITION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A TRANSFORMER SHORTED AT SURREY LANE AND ANNAPOLIS ROAD, WHICH RESULTED IN AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE THROUGH AN ADJACENT METAL FENCE INTO THE GROUND. THE METAL FENCE THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE ROUGHLY 20 YEARS OLD WAS INSTALLED DIRECTLY OVER THE 8"" WRPD MAIN. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE FROM THE TRANSFORMER TRAVELED DOWN THE FENCE AND DISCHARGED AT 7224 ANNAPOLIS ROAD, RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL ARC TO THE PIPE. THE GAS WAS TURNED OFF UTILIZING VALVES WHICH EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. ONCE THE AREA WAS DEEMED SAFE, CREWS STARTED PERMANENT REPAIRS TO THE PIPE, INCLUDING ADDING NEW CATHODIC PROTECTION ANODES AND A TEST STATION. THE PIPE WAS REPAIRED USING A FULL SEAL CLAMP AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE EXAMINED FOR PIPE SPECIFICATION AND WALL THICKNESS AS A RESULT. THERE WAS ONLY MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, WHICH WAS TO THE CHAIN LINK FENCE THAT HAD TO BE REMOVED TO REPAIR THE MAIN.