BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON AUGUST 25TH, 2019 AT 07:09 THE HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTIFIED BGE OF AN OUTSIDE GAS ODOR AT THE LOCATION OF 8865 STANFORD BLVD. BGE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED A GAS FITTER TO THE PREMISE FOR INVESTIGATION. A GAS MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR CREW WAS ALSO DISPATCHED THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION IN THE BUILDING AT 08:00. THE GAS EMERGENCY PLAN WAS PUT INTO AFFECT AND NOTIFICATIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED STARTING AT 08:02. THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WAS NOTIFIED AND A REPORT TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER WAS ISSUED. THE SERVICE WAS ABANDONED ON 8/26/2020 12:00PM. THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACILITIES NEAR AND/OR CROSSING BGE'S FACILITIES WHICH WERE EVALUATED ALONG WITH BGE'S FACILITIES. THE FACILITIES WHICH CROSS BGE'S FACILITIES ARE COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES, PRIVATE AREA LIGHTING FACILITIES, AND THE BUILDING'S ELECTRICAL SERVICE. THE EXPLOSION WAS THE RESULT OF A DIFFUSE FUEL AND AIR MIXTURE. THE FUEL WAS NATURAL GAS. THE SOURCE OF THE FUGITIVE NATURAL GAS WAS A COMPROMISE IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE GAS SERVICE CAUSED BY THERMAL DEGRADATION OF ITS POLYETHYLENE TUBING FROM AN ELECTRICAL FAULT OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED OF ALL THE FACILITIES IN THE AREA, INCLUDING THE COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES AND THE PRIVATE AREA LIGHTING FACILITIES IN THE AREA, BUT DID NOT YIELD ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION.