NORTHERN ILLINOIS GAS CO

Incident Narrative

THE CITY OF WOODSTOCK HIRED A SEWER CONTRACTOR TO PERFORM SEWER CLEANOUT WORK. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:35PM CST, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY OF WOODSTOCK CALLED A COMPANY SUPERVISOR DIRECTLY AND INFORMED HIM THE MAIN WAS HIT IN THE SEWER BY THEIR CONTRACTOR. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:50 PM CST, COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE RECEIVES PHONE CALL FROM THE SEWER CONTRACTOR REPORTING THE DAMAGE. INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS INDICATE THAT WHILE PERFORMING CONTRACTED DUTIES, THE CONTRACTOR DAMAGED A NATURAL GAS MAIN AT THE INTERSECTION OF TRYON ST. AND LINCOLN AVE. WHILE COMPANY CREWS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF SHUTTING OFF THE FLOW OF GAS, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT 321 LINCOLN AVE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE GAS FROM THE DAMAGED MAIN TRAVELED THROUGH THE SEWER AND INTO THE PREMISE, CAUSING A SUBSEQUENT HOUSE EXPLOSION. NO ONE WAS INSIDE THE PREMISE AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES AND THE ONLY REPORTED INJURIES WERE TO TWO FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION AND WERE RELEASED. GAS MAIN WAS PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED THROUGH THE SANITARY SEWER BY A SECOND PARTY CONTRACTOR IN 2018. NOTE: IN PART F, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT FAILED DRUG SCREEN WAS A MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE AND WAS NOT PART OF THE CREWS PERFORMING EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND REPAIR ACTIVITIES.