CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP., DBA CENTERPOINT ENERGY MINNESOTA GAS

Incident Narrative

CNP WAS CALLED TO A FIRE INVOLVING A METER SET ON 10/11/2019 AT 2709 WALTER PORT LN. UPON ARRIVAL CNP SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE METER SET AT 16:15 AND THE SERVICE WAS THEN SQUEEZED AND CAPPED AT 17:20. ON 10/15/2019 WITH MNOPS ON SITE, THE SERVICE LINE PASSED AIR TESTS PERFORMED TO COMPANY STANDARDS WITH ADAM RATZLAFF OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY(MNOPS) IN ATTENDANCE. IN AN EMAIL FROM JEFF BLACKWELL OF MNOPS, CNP WAS INFORMED THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A CONSTRUCTION WORKER DROPPING A CIGARETTE NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE FIRE WAS STARTED. ""10-24-19: JRB SPOKE WITH SHAWN JOHNSON WITH THE CITY OF MINNETONKA FIRE INVESTIGATION AND HE SAID THAT WHITEMORE, THE INVESTIGATION COMPANY, WAS ABLE TO VIEW VIDEO TAPE FROM CAMERAS LOCATED ON SITE AND THE FOOTAGE SHOWED A CONSTRUCTION WORKER DROPPING A CIGARETTE BUTT IN THE AREA WHERE THE FIRE BEGAN. THIS HAS BEEN RULED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THIS CASE WILL BE CLOSED."" ANOTHER INVESTIGATION INVOLVING CNP WILL TAKE PLACE ON 11/13/2019 A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE PROVIDED AFTER. UPDATE 11/15/2019 NO NEW INFORMATION AFTER THE INVESTIGATION ON 11/13/2019. CAUSE OF INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A DROPPED CIGARETTE. CENTERPOINT ENERGY HAS TAKEN THE METER SET IN TO CUSTODY. THERE IS NO TIME TABLE AS OF 11/15/2019 OF WHEN SERVICE WILL BE RESTORED. AS REQUESTED BY ASHLEY HORTON OF PHMSA IN EMAIL SENT TO MNOPS ON 11/12/2019 THE TIME REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER HAS BEEN UPDATED AND THE TIME THE SERVICE LINE WAS CAPPED IS THE SAME AS WHEN THE LINE WAS SHUT DOWN. UPDATE 11/26/2019 UPDATED THE TIME THE SERVICE WAS CAPPED AS INSTRUCTED BY ASHLEY HORTON OF PHMSA. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ADD A DESCRIPTION AFTER SELECTING G4 NEARBY INDUSTRIAL, MAN-MADE, OR OTHER FIRE AND EXPLOSION AS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF INCIDENT. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS CONFIRMED A DROPPED CIGARETTE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE THAT EVENTUALLY STARTED THE HOUSE AND METER SET ON FIRE.