PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC & GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017, AT 11:12 AM, PSE&G RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FAIR LAWN POLICE DISPATCH NOTIFYING OF A DOWNED POWER LINE IN FRONT OF THE VALLEY NATIONAL BANK AT 139 LINCOLN AVENUE, FAIR LAWN AND THE AREA OF THE DOWNED POWER LINE HAD IGNITED. AT 11:35 AM, PSE&G ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND DISCOVERED THE DOWNED POWER LINE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE CURB VALVE BOX LOCATED AT GRADE, FOR THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE FEEDING 139 LINCOLN AVENUE, CAUSING A RUPTURE OF THE UNDERGROUND GAS SERVICE AT THE AREA OF THE CURB VALVE. THE IGNITION IN FRONT OF 139 LINCOLN AVENUE WAS NATURAL GAS FUELED AND IT WAS ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE DOWNED POWER LINE CAUSED THE INSIDE METER SET TO RUPTURE FUELING A FIRE INSIDE THE BANK. THE VALLEY NATIONAL BANK, LINCOLN AVENUE CAT HOSPITAL, AND SEVERAL HOMES WERE EVACUATED AT THE DISCOVERY OF THE IGNITION WITH THE HELP OF THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, APPROXIMATELY 30 PEOPLE. THE CATS THAT WERE CURRENTLY BOARDED IN THE LINCOLN AVENUE CAT HOSPITAL WERE RELOCATED TO ANOTHER VETERINARY FACILITY, UNHARMED. THE FLAMES AT THE CURB VALVE BOX LOCATION WERE ONLY A FEW FEET FROM THE SERVICE CONNECTION TO THE MAIN, WHICH REQUIRED PSE&G TO THROTTLE THE 20 INCH CAST IRON, 15PSI GAS MAIN FOR THE SAFE DISCONNECTION OF THE DAMAGED SERVICE. AT 5:38 PM, PSE&G AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES IN FRONT OF 139 LINCOLN AVENUE AND CREWS WERE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY DISCONNECT THE SERVICE AT 6:25 PM. EVACUEES WERE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR DWELLINGS DURING THE RESPONSE WHEN THE AREA WAS DECLARED SAFE AND THE IGNITION WAS CONFIRMED TO BE UNDER CONTROL, EXCEPT FOR THE VALLEY NATIONAL BANK, WHICH WAS DAMAGED FROM THE INSIDE FIRE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S WATER RESPONSE. BY 6:43 PM, THE GAS MAIN FEEDING THE AREA WAS BACK AT FULL PRESSURE, AND THE ONLY SERVICE LEFT WITHOUT GAS WAS THE VALLEY NATIONAL BANK AT 139 LINCOLN AVENUE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 PM, IT WAS DETERMINED THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE DUE TO THE NATURAL GAS FUELED IGNITION HAD MET PHMSA REPORTING CRITERIA AND THE INCIDENT REPORT- NRC #: 1183417 WAS MADE FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017 @ 7:29 PM. FOLLOW UP INCIDENT REPORT- NRC #: 1183576 MADE SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017 @ 6:03 PM.