ATLANTA GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

A 1.25-INCH PLASTIC ATLANTA GAS LIGHT COMPANY (AGLC) NATURAL GAS MAIN WAS RUPTURED BY BORING WHILE A NON-AGLC CONTRACTOR WAS REPLACING UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC FACILITIES NEAR 2333 DUNWOODY CROSSING IN DUNWOODY, GA. WHEN AGLC'S FIRST RESPONDER ARRIVED AT THE SCENE OF THE DAMAGED GAS LINE, THE DEKALB COUNTY FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT (FIRE DEPARTMENT) WAS ALREADY ONSITE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD EVACUATED THE SIX APARTMENT UNITS IN THE TWO-STORY 2333 BUILDING. AGLC'S FIRST RESPONDER CONSULTED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND TOOK APPROPRIATE STEPS TO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. AGLC'S FIRST RESPONDER CONTINUALLY MONITORED GAS READINGS USING A COMBUSTIBLE GAS INDICATOR (CGI) AROUND THE 2333 BUILDING WALLS, DOORS, AND WINDOWS AND IN NEARBY PRE-EXISTING EXCAVATION HOLES. AGLC'S FIRST RESPONDER COULD NOT TAKE READINGS INSIDE THE 2333 BUILDING DUE TO THE DOORS TO THE APARTMENT UNITS BEING LOCKED. TWO ADDITIONAL AGLC CREWS RESPONDED TO THE DAMAGE SITE TO SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF GAS AND REPAIR THE DAMAGE. AGLC WAS IN THE PROCESS OF EXPOSING THE APPLICABLE FACILITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE SHUT OFF OF GAS BY SQUEEZE TO FACILITIES IN THE AREA OF THE DAMAGE WHEN THE SIDE OF THE 2333 BUILDING NEAREST THE CUT LINE EXPLODED AND CAUGHT FIRE. FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION, AGLC SQUEEZED OFF GAS FACILITIES FARTHER UPSTREAM, STOPPING THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE DAMAGED GAS LINE. AGLC BELIEVES THAT GAS FROM THE DAMAGED 1.25-INCH MAIN ACCUMULATED WITHIN ONE OF THE APARTMENTS NEAREST THE CUT LINE AND WAS THEN IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN IGNITION SOURCE, CAUSING THE EXPLOSION AND ENSUING FIRE. TWO AGLC EMPLOYEES, WHO WERE IN THE PROCESS OF EXPOSING FACILITIES TO IMPLEMENT FACILITY SHUTDOWN, SUFFERED BURN INJURIES FROM THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE. NO OTHER INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CONTRACTOR THAT DAMAGED THE GAS MAIN DID NOT SUBMIT A LOCATE REQUEST TO THE ONE-CALL CENTER REQUESTING THE LOCATION OF UNDERGROUND UTILITY FACILITIES IN THE AREA OF THE DAMAGED GAS MAIN PRIOR TO EXCAVATION.