CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON FEBRUARY 2, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 22:54 HOURS A HOME EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE OCCURRED AT 406 IRWIN AVENUE, PONTIAC, MICHIGAN (OAKLAND COUNTY). A MALE OCCUPANT WAS INJURED IN THE EXPLOSION AND TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE HOME WAS A COMPLETE LOSS WITH AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY $59,400. PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION, AT APPROXIMATELY 21:45 HOURS CONSUMERS ENERGY RECEIVED AND RESPONDED TO AN OUTSIDE LEAK INVESTIGATION AT 443 SOUTH BOULEVARD, PONTIAC, MI. THE GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) ARRIVED ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 22:18, HEARD BLOWING GAS AT/NEAR THE SERVICE TEE AND REQUESTED A DISTRIBUTION CREW. THE GSW ALSO OBTAINED 6% FREE AIR READS AT THE PROPERTY ENTRANCE AND ADVISED THE OCCUPANTS NOT TO RE-ENTER THE HOME. WHILE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE THE AREA, THE GSW HEARD WHAT HE BELIEVED MAY HAVE BEEN AN EXPLOSION NEARBY (APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE SOUTH BLVD. LOCATION) AND NOTIFIED HIS FIELD LEADER. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE AREA DETERMINED GAS READS (APPROXIMATELY 55% GAS) IN THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 73 FEET WEST OF THE SEWER LEAD SERVING 406 IRWIN AVE. GAS READS WERE ALSO OBTAINED AT 398 IRWIN AVE. RESULTING IN AN EVACUATION OF THE OCCUPANT AT THIS PROPERTY. (FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION, THE SEWER LEAD FOR 406 IRWIN AVENUE WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE SOUTH OF THE SANITARY SEWER LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOING STREET AND IRWIN AVENUE) THE DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVED ON FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 00:35 HOURS. THE SOURCE OF THE BLOWING GAS WAS DETERMINED TO BE A LEAK ON THE 3/4 INCH PIPE THREAD THAT TIED INTO THE HIGH PRESSURE REGULATOR. THE SERVICE LINE, REGULATOR AND SECURITY WERE REPLACED AND GAS READS BEGAN TO DISSIPATE FROM THE SANITARY SEWER. ON FEBRUARY 20, 2019 THE INTERESTED PARTIES MET ON-SCENE TO CONDUCT A JOINT SCENE INVESTIGATION. THE PARTIES AGREED THE CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE PROPERTY MADE IT UNSAFE TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE INVESTIGATION. THE JOINT SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS POSTPONED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS. UNTIL A FULL ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION CAN BE COMPLETED THE CAUSE AND ORIGIN REMAINS CLASSIFIED AS UNDETERMINED. ON MARCH 25, 2019 A JOINT SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED, THE LOCATION WAS CAREFULLY EXCAVATED AND ALL GAS APPLIANCES WERE REMOVED AND TRANSPORTED TO THE SAFETY ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, INC. (SEL) FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATION AND TESTING. THE FOLLOWING DAY, MARCH 26, 2019 DESTRUCTIVE TESTING FOR THE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED ON THE BURIED REGULATOR LOCATED AT 443 SOUTH BOULEVARD WAS PERFORMED AT THE CONSUMERS ENERGY TRAIL STREET LABORATORY. ON APRIL 10, 2019 A JOINT SCENE EXAM WAS HELD WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY, SEL AND THE MPSC. THE BASEMENT OF THE RESIDENCE WAS EXCAVATED AND WATER DRAINED IN THE ATTEMPT TO LOCATE, TRACE AND VIDEO (PHOTOGRAPH) THE SEWER LINE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE HOME TO THE SANITARY SEWER UNDER THE ROADWAY. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A HOLE (APPROXIMATELY 4X4) CUT INTO THE TOP OF THE METAL SEWER LINE IN THE BASEMENT BEFORE THE SEWER TRAP WAS DISCOVERED. THE SEWER LINE ALSO RAN INTO A REPAIRED SINKHOLE AREA ON GOINGS INSTEAD OF IRWIN AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED BY THE CITY OF PONTIAC WATER DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE FROM AN EARLIER INVESTIGATION. FOLLOWING A SERIES ON INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION WAS THE IGNITION OF NATURAL GAS. THE IGNITION SOURCE REMAINS UNDETERMINED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION REMAINS UNCONFIRMED DUE TO THE LACK OF COOPERATION BY THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPERTY'S RESIDENT.