BALTIMORE GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

THE RESIDENT OF 12218 SLEEPY-HORSE LANE STATED THAT SHE BACKED OUT OF HER GARAGE UNAWARE THAT HER CAR DOOR WAS PARTIALLY OPEN AND HER CAR DOOR STRUCK AN UNDETERMINED PIPE/OBJECT INSIDE THE GARAGE. BGE LATER RECEIVED A REPORT OF AN OUTSIDE GAS ODOR FROM THE RESIDENT OF 12220 SLEEPY-HORSE LANE. BGE RESPONDED TO THE ODOR CALL AND FOUND HIGH LEVELS OF GAS AND A BREACHED GAS METER/REGULATOR SET INSIDE THE GARAGE OF 12218 SLEEPY-HORSE LANE. THE GAS MECHANIC EVACUATED THE RESIDENTS OF 12220 SLEEPY-HORSE LANE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE IGNITION OCCURRED. HOWARD COUNTY FIRE INVESTIGATION REPORT 15MA012 DATED 12/17/2015 STATED; AS A RESULT OF A SYSTEMATIC ORIGIN AND CAUSE INVESTIGATION, THE SPECIFIC POINT OF ORIGIN COULD NOT BE READILY IDENTIFIED; THEREFORE, THE AREA OF ORIGIN IS IDENTIFIED AS THE STRUCTURE OF 12218 SLEEPY HORSE LANE. BASED ON THE INFORMATION PRESENTLY AVAILABLE, IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS INVESTIGATOR THAT THE SOURCE OF IGNITION WAS UNDETERMINED. THERE WAS A SEVERED NATURAL GAS PIPE INSIDE OF THE GARAGE AND GAS WAS FREE FLOWING INSIDE OF THE GARAGE, WHICH PROVIDED THE FUEL FOR THE IGNITION. THE AREA OF ORIGIN CONTAINED MULTIPLE COMPETENT AND POTENTIAL SOURCES OF ACCIDENTAL IGNITION. THESE INCLUDED ENERGIZED ELECTRICAL DEVICES. AS A RESULT, THE SPECIFIC SOURCE OF IGNITION OF THIS FIRE COULD NOT BE CONCLUSIVELY DETERMINED WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THIS INVESTIGATION. DURING THIS INVESTIGATION, HOWEVER, NO SOURCES OF INCENDIARY IGNITION WERE OBSERVED OR INDICATED IN THE AREA OF ORIGIN. IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS INVESTIGATOR THAT THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE WAS ACCIDENTAL IN NATURE.