FLORIDA PUBLIC UTILITIES CO

Incident Narrative

ORIGINALLY REPORTED TO THE OPERATOR AS 560 NE 35TH ST, BOCA RATON AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED TO THE NRC. ACTUAL INCIDENT ADDRESS IS 560 NE 36TH ST., BOCA RATON, FL. AN ENERGIZED PRIMARY POWER LINE FELL FROM A POLE IN A REAR UTILITY EASEMENT STRIKING A METAL STORAGE SHED AND A METAL GUY WIRE FOR THE POLE THAT WAS ANCHORED IN THE GROUND. THE CURRENT FROM THE DOWNED POWER LINE ARCED A HOLE IN A 1.25"" PE GAS MAIN THAT WAS IN THE GROUND NEAR THE GUY WIRE ANCHOR CAUSING A HOLE AND IGNITED THE ESCAPING NATURAL GAS. THE RESULTING FIRE FROM THE STORAGE SHED AND THE GAS MAIN SCORCHED THE ROOF AND WALL OF A NEARBY HOUSE THAT WAS 5' AWAY FROM THE SHED. OPERATOR CREWS DUG UP AND SQUEEZED OFF THE PE GAS MAIN STOPPING THE FLOW OF GAS AND EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. HURRICANE IRMA HAD PASSED NEAR THE AREA TWO DAYS EARLIER ON SEPTEMBER 10TH, RESULTING IN MANY POWER LINES BEING DAMAGED. DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE PRELIMINARY AND MAY BE HIGHER THAN ACTUAL COSTS TO REPAIR AT THIS TIME. A SUPPLEMENTAL AND FINAL REPORT WILL BE FILED WHEN MORE DETAILS ARE KNOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL - DUE TO ERROR ENTERING INCIDENT ADDRESS ON ORIGINAL REPORT. 11/15/17 - SUPPLEMENTAL AND FINAL REPORT - PART A (13B) PIPELINE RESTARTED AT 15:00 ON 9/15/17. PART C (5) CHANGED TO LEAK AND PINHOLE. PART D (2) ESTIMATED COST REVISED DUE TO MAJORITY OF DAMAGE ALREADY CAUSED BY PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL INCIDENT 2 DAYS PRIOR. PART G(4) CHANGED TO OTHER. NEW REPORTS FROM BOCA RATON FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOW THAT TWO (2) INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT THIS RESIDENCE. INCIDENT #1 WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE DROPPED ONTO THE ROOF OF THE STRUCTURE IGNITING A CANVAS AWNING AND ARCING IN THE ROOF AND EAVES OF THE STRUCTURE AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE ON 9/10/17 AT 09:00 HOURS. FIRE DEPARTMENT DAMAGE ESTIMATES OF $40,000 FOR THE STRUCTURE AND $5000 FOR THE CONTENTS. NATURAL GAS WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT OR THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE. INCIDENT #2, IN WHICH THE NATURAL GAS PIPELINE WAS INVOLVED, OCCURRED ON 9/12/17 AROUND 15:11 HOURS. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED FROM A DOWNED PRIMARY POWER LINE THAT DROPPED FROM A POWER POLE ONTO A METAL GUY WIRE ANCHORED IN THE GROUND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE NATURAL GAS MAIN IN A UTILITY EASEMENT AND ONTO A METAL SHED NEAR THE GAS MAIN. THE METAL SHED CONTAINED FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS AND MATERIAL AND IGNITED ALONG WITH ESCAPING NATURAL GAS FROM THE LINE DAMAGED BY THE DOWNED ELECTRICAL PRIMARY LINE. FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS PUT DAMAGE TO THE SHED AT $1000 AND CONTENTS AT $5000. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL SCORCHING DAMAGE TO THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE NEAR THE SHED. WE REVISE OUR ESTIMATE OF PROPERTY DAMAGE TO $10,000.