DOMINION ENERGY UTAH/WYOMING/IDAHO

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 6, 2019 DOMINION ENERGY UTAH (DEU) WAS NOTIFIED OF A HOUSE FIRE AT 16840 N 3000 E, MORONI, UTAH. DEU SENT A TECHNICIAN TO THE SITE. UPON ARRIVAL THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION FROM THE INSIDE OF THE HOME. THE METER WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE SO OUR TECHNICIAN TOOK MEASURES TO CUT AND CAP THE SERVICE LINE TO SECURE THE GAS SERVICE. THE MAIN AND SERVICE LINE WERE LEAK DETECTED AND NO GAS WAS DETECTED. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE HOME'S LOCATION AND THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT'S RESOURCES, THE STATE FIRE INVESTIGATOR CHOSE TO LET THE FIRE BURN. THE HOME WAS A TOTAL LOSS (ESTIMATED $200K). AN EYE WITNESS STATED TO DEU EMPLOYEES THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HOME. WITNESS WENT TO THE NORTH SIDE WITH THE INTENTION OF SHUTTING OFF THE GAS METER AS A PRECAUTION. WITNESS STATED FLAMES WERE ROLLING OUT OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HOME AT THAT TIME AND IT WAS TOO HOT TO GET TO THE METER. WITNESS WAS UNABLE TO SHUT THE VALVE OFF. DEU EMPLOYEE ASKED IF AT THE TIME THE WITNESS WAS TRYING TO SHUT OF THE GAS, WHETHER OR NOT THE METER WAS INVOLVED IN THE FIRE. WITNESS STATED THERE WAS NO FIRE AT THE METER. WITNESS STATED THERE WAS NO FIRE NEAR THE METER UNTIL AFTER THE NORTH WALL OF THE HOME FELL ON THE METER. DEU PRESSURE TESTED THE BURIED SERVICE LINE AFTER THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE TEST PASSED. DEU AND UTAH PIPELINE SAFETY REVIEWED THE METER EVIDENCE ON JUNE 17, 2019. DEU CONDUCTED AN ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TEST OF THE REMAINING SECTION OF SERVICE LINE/RISER DURING THE EVIDENCE REVIEW AND IT PASSED. THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT FROM THE UTAH STATE FIRE MARSHAL STATES ""IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS INVESTIGATOR THAT THIS WAS A NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OR LOCATION OF THE GAS LEAK OR THE IGNITION SOURCE THAT IGNITED THE GAS.