GREATER MINNESOTA GAS INC.
gas_distribution Incident — PRIOR LAKE, MN — April 17, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 17, 2019 |
| Operator | GREATER MINNESOTA GAS INC. |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | PRIOR LAKE |
| State | MN |
| County | SCOTT |
| Coordinates | 44.62044, -93.45216 |
Cause
| Cause | NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | LIGHTNING |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $7,000 |
| Emergency Response | $3,413 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
LIGHTNING STRUCK THE GROUND AND/OR THE HOME ADJACENT TO THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE. CURRENT FROM THE LIGHTNING STRIKE TRAVELED THROUGH THE ENTIRE TRACER WIRE ALONG THE SERVICE LINE RESULTING IN A BELOW GROUND LEAK NEAR THE METER SET AND DISINTEGRATION OF THE TRACER WIRE. THE GAS IGNITED RESULTING IN A HOUSE FIRE NEAR THE METER SET. COMPANY RESPONDERS EXCAVATED THE SERVICE LINE NEAR THE MAIN AND SQUEEZED THE PLASTIC LINE TO ELIMINATE THE SOURCE OF GAS. THE NEW PRAGUE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE SERVICE WAS THEN CUT AND CAPPED. THE LIGHTNING STRIKE MAY HAVE ALSO CAUSED A LEAK IN THE ABOVE GROUND METER SET. IT WAS NOT CLEAR IF A POTENTIAL LIGHTNING STRIKE NEAR THE HOME AND METER SET WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OR IF IT WAS DUE TO A POTENTIAL LIGHTNING STRIKE TO THE GROUND AND TRAVELING TO THE METER SET ALONG THE TRACER WIRE.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.