BLACK HILLS ENERGY

Incident Narrative

AT 3:58 P.M. ON DECEMBER 16, 2016, ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE INTERSECTION OF WEST KELLI AVE. AND HWY 62 (MAIN ST.) IN FARMINGTON, ARKANSAS, A VEHICLE TRAVELLING WEST ON HWY 62 LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A BLACK HILLS ENERGY ARKANSAS, INC. (""BHEA"" OR THE ""COMPANY"") 2-INCH POST REGULATOR SETTING THAT WAS CONNECTED TO A 4-INCH TRANSMISSION PIPELINE. THE REGULATOR SETTING WAS LOCATED 28.5 FEET FROM THE CURB OF HWY 62. THE IMPACT OF THE CAR STRIKING THE SETTING BROKE TWO 2"" X 1"" SWAGES ON THE HIGH PRESSURE SIDE OF THE REGULATOR AND TWO 2"" STEEL PIPES ON THE INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE SIDE OF THE REGULATOR. THE GAS ESCAPING FROM THE BROKEN PORTIONS OF THE REGULATOR SETTING IGNITED IMMEDIATELY, RESULTING IN A LARGE FIRE. THE FIRST BHEA EMPLOYEES ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT 4:00 P.M. AND 4:10 P.M., AND STARTED THE PROCESS OF ISOLATING THE EFFECTED SEGMENT OF THE COMPANY'S SYSTEM WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE FARMINGTON AND FAYETTEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THE EMERGENCY SHUT OFF VALVE FOR THE SETTING, WHICH WAS LOCATED 21 FEET FROM THE SETTING, WAS INACCESSIBLE DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE FIRE. RATHER THAN STOP THE FIRE BY COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE PORTION OF BHEA'S SYSTEM IN THE AREA OF THE INCIDENT, WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF SERVICE TO HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS, BHEA DECIDED, BASED ON ALL OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, TO TAKE MEASURES TO REDUCE OR STOP THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE ISOLATED PORTION OF ITS SYSTEM FEEDING INTO THE REGULATOR SETTING IN ORDER TO STOP THE FIRE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME AVOIDING LOSS OF SERVICE TO ITS CUSTOMERS. THIS DECISION WAS MADE FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN BHEA AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, DURING WHICH ALL PARTIES AGREED THAT THERE WERE NO IMPENDING RISKS TO HUMAN LIFE OR PROPERTY, SINCE THE PERSON THAT WAS APPARENTLY IN THE CAR THAT STRUCK THE REGULATOR SETTING WAS EITHER DECEASED PRIOR TO THE CAR HITTING THE SETTING OR DIED WHEN THE FIRE ERUPTED*, THE OCCUPANTS OF A NEARBY DUPLEX THAT HAD CAUGHT FIRE HAD BEEN SAFELY EVACUATED, AND NO OTHER LIVES WERE IN DANGER. REGARDING PROPERTY, AS MENTIONED, A DUPLEX NEXT TO THE REGULATOR SETTING HAD CAUGHT FIRE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CAR HIT THE SETTING AND THE FIRE BEGAN, AND IT WAS QUICKLY APPARENT THAT IT COULD NOT BE SAVED FROM TOTAL LOSS. THERE WAS NO OTHER IMMINENT RISK TO PROPERTY, GIVEN THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL AND WAS NOT SPREADING. IN ADDITION, BHEA WAS AWARE THAT THE WEATHER WAS FORECASTED TO TURN VERY COLD THE FOLLOWING DAY, WITH TEMPERATURES FORECASTED TO FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS BY THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, MAKING ANY LOSS OF GAS SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS ALL THE MORE CONSEQUENTIAL. BECAUSE GAS WAS FEEDING INTO THE SETTING FROM FOUR DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, THE PROCESS OF ISOLATING THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE SETTING TOOK SEVERAL HOURS, AND WAS COMPLETED AT APPROXIMATELY 12:40 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE DAMAGED FACILITIES, BHEA BEGAN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE SETTING IN ORDER TO BRING THE SEGMENT OF THE SYSTEM BACK INTO SERVICE, WHICH TOOK PLACE AT 1:15 P.M. ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17. *THERE WAS APPARENTLY ONE PERSON IN THE CAR AT THE TIME IT HIT THE REGULATOR SETTING. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, BONE FRAGMENTS FROM THAT PERSON WERE FOUND IN THE CAR. THE INCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, AND AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT, NEITHER THE CAUSE OF DEATH, NOR THE TIME OF DEATH (EITHER BEFORE THE INCIDENT OR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT) HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. UNTIL THE RESULTS OF THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES' INVESTIGATIONS ARE RELEASED, BHEA HAS STATED ON THIS REPORT TO PHMSA THAT THERE WERE NO FATALITIES THAT RESULTED FROM THE INCIDENT. BHEA WILL UPDATE THIS REPORT ONCE IT RECEIVES FURTHER INFORMATION.