CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

AT 12:50 P.M. ON MARCH 14, 2017, CON EDISON'S GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC) RECEIVED A REPORT FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY FIRE CONTROL OF A BUILDING FIRE AT 159 THORNBURY ROAD IN NEW ROCHELLE. THE GERC DISPATCHED PERSONNEL, INCLUDING SUPERVISION FROM CON EDISON'S GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS) DEPARTMENT. AT 1:16 P.M., AS GDS PERSONNEL WERE ARRIVING AT THE LOCATION, WESTCHESTER COUNTY FIRE CONTROL PROVIDED UPDATED INFORMATION TO THE GERC INDICATING THAT THE FIRE WAS GAS FED, ACCORDING TO THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT (NRFD). ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL FROM CON EDISON'S GDS AND GAS CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENTS WERE THEN DISPATCHED TO THE LOCATION. THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING INVOLVED WAS SUPPLIED BY A 0.5-INCH HIGH-PRESSURE POLYETHYLENE (HPPE) GAS SERVICE SUPPLIED FROM A 1.25-INCH HPPE GAS MAIN. THE GERC IDENTIFIED THE LOCATION OF THE CURB AND MAIN VALVES TO ISOLATE THE AREA, IF REQUIRED. AT 1:25 P.M., GDS REPORTED THAT THE NRFD HAD CLOSED THE SERVICE VALVE IN THE GARAGE, SECURING THE REPORTED GAS FED FIRE. AT 1:42 P.M., GDS PROVIDED AN UPDATED REPORT TO THE GERC INDICATING THAT THE INCIDENT HAD INVOLVED A SECONDARY NATURAL GAS IGNITION CAUSED BY ANOTHER FIRE THAT HAD RESULTED FROM THE HOMEOWNER ATTEMPTING TO FILL A SNOW BLOWER WITH GASOLINE INSIDE THE GARAGE. THE GASOLINE-RELATED PRIMARY IGNITION SPREAD TO A VEHICLE, THE GARAGE AND HOUSE. THE CURB VALVE, WHICH COULD NOT INITIALLY BE LOCATED BECAUSE IT WAS COVERED WITH ICE AND SNOW, WAS LOCATED WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GDS SUPERVISION AND CLOSED AT 1:50 P.M. AT 2:05 P.M., GDS SUPERVISION REPORTED TO THE GERC THAT THE GASOLINE-RELATED PRIMARY IGNITION APPEARED TO HAVE MELTED THE GAS SERVICE REGULATOR AND GAS METER, AND DAMAGED THE GAS METER PIPING, HOUSE PIPING, AND EXTENSION SERVICE. ODORANT READINGS TAKEN AT 149 THORNBURY ROAD WERE WITHIN THE ACCEPTABLE RANGE (0.25% GAS-IN-AIR). NO NATURAL GAS READINGS WERE DETECTED IN TEST POINTS CHECKED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. THE CURB VALVE AND SERVICE VALVE WERE LEFT OFF AND LOCKED, AND WERE VERIFIED TO BE HOLDING. GAS CONSTRUCTION RESPONDED TO CUT AND CAP THE GAS SERVICE AT THE MAIN. DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $50,000. NO INJURIES OR ILLNESSES WERE REPORTED. CHANNEL 12 NEWS WAS ON LOCATION. NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO THE NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (NYSPSC) AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (VIA THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER). THE NYSPSC INQUIRED AND WAS PROVIDED WITH AN UPDATE.