ENSTAR NATURAL GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 24, 2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 0130, A MAGNITUDE 7.1 EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED IN SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA. THE EPICENTER WAS IN COOK INLET, 162 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF ANCHORAGE. AT APPROXIMATELY 0225, ENSTAR NATURAL GAS COMPANY RECEIVED A CALL TO ITS CALL CENTER FROM EMERGENCY RESPONDERS NOTIFYING IT OF AN IGNITION AND FIRE AT A RESIDENCE LOCATED AT 1213 LILAC LANE IN KENAI, ALASKA. ENSTAR'S FIRST RESPONDING EMPLOYEE ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 0238. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, FIRE CREWS EXTINGUISHED THE INITIAL FIRE. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE HOURS, CREWS WORKED WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO EVACUATE THE STREET, SHUT DOWN ELECTRICITY TO STRUCTURES ON THE STREET, AND LOCATE THE GAS LEAK. CREWS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS AN UNDERGROUND GAS LEAK IN FRONT OF 1213 LILAC LANE. AT APPROXIMATELY 4 A.M., CREWS BEGAN EXCAVATING AT THE SITE OF THE SUSPECTED GAS LEAK. THE GROUND WAS FROZEN, WITH FROST EXTENDING 2-4 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE, AND THE MAIN WAS APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET DEEP AT THIS LOCATION. DURING THE EXCAVATION, AT APPROXIMATELY 0554, A SECONDARY IGNITION OCCURRED AT 1215 LILAC LANE. THE ENSUING FIRE DAMAGED THE HOMES AT 1211, 1213, 1215, AND 1217 LILAC LANE. CREWS SHUT DOWN THE MAIN ON LILAC LANE BY STOPPING GAS FLOW TO THE THREE TIE-IN POINTS THAT FED THE STREET. CREWS DETERMINED THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK WAS A 1 1/4 INCH STEEL MAIN THAT HAD SEPARATED AT A WELD JOINT. CREWS REPAIRED THE BROKEN MAIN AND RESTORED SERVICE TO NON-AFFECTED HOMES AT APPROXIMATELY 1800. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ADDITIONAL ENSTAR CREWS WERE CALLED IN FROM THE KENAI AND ANCHORAGE AREAS TO SUPPORT THE RESPONSE. FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, ENSTAR CREWS WORKED TO EXTRACT TRAPPED GAS IN THE GROUND. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT; ONLY PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.