CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 09:19 CONSUMERS ENERGY PERSONNEL RESPONDED TO AN OUTSIDE LEAK INVESTIGATION AT 10223 DODGE RD., MONTROSE, MI (GENESEE COUNTY). THE HOMEOWNER INDICATED A LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 07:34 AND AFTERWARDS A STRONG ODOR OF GAS WAS PRESENT NEAR THE HOME. THE RESPONDING GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) PERFORMED A SERIES OF LEAK TEST AT 10223 DODGE RD., INCLUDING BAR HOLE TESTING THE SERVICE LINE AND THE MAIN. NO GAS READS WERE DETECTED AT THIS LOCATION. THE GSW PROCEEDED TO CHECK FOR GAS READINGS ALONG THE SERVICE LINE AS WELL AS THE BUILDING PERIMETER (DOORS AND WINDOWS) AT 10218 DODGE RD. USING A SENSIT GOLD CGI COMBUSTIBLE GAS INDICATOR. NO READS WERE DETECTED DURING THIS PORTION OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE GSW EXPANDED THE LEAK INVESTIGATION TO THE LIGHTNING STRIKE LOCATION AT 10209 DODGE RD., AND FOUND 100% GAS READS AT THE EDGE OF PAVEMENT ON BOTH SIDES OF DODGE ROAD AS WELL AS WATER BUBBLING FROM A CRACK IN THE PAVEMENT NEAR THE CENTER OF THE ROAD ABOVE THE SERVICE LINE. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:15 CONSUMERS ENERGY DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVED ON-SITE AND BEGAN PREPARATION TO REPLACE THE SERVICE LINE LOCATED AT 10209 DODGE RD. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:32 AN EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE OCCURRED AT 10218 DODGE RD. RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF PROPERTY. THE PROPERTY WAS UNOCCUPIED AND NO INJURIES OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT. AFTER THE INCIDENT, CONSUMERS ENERGY CONDUCTED BAR HOLE TESTING IN THE VICINITY OF 10218 DODGE ROAD. THIS TESTING INDICATED THAT GAS HAD MIGRATED FROM THE LEAK LOCATION AT 10209 DODGE ROAD ALONG THE MAIN TO A LOCATION APPROXIMATELY 20' WEST OF THE IDENTIFIED LEAK. THE HIGHEST SUSTAINED READS WERE OBTAINED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET FROM THE LEAK LOCATION AND APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET FROM THE BUILDING WALL. THE INITIAL READ TAKEN AT 16:00, APPROXIMATELY 3.5 HOURS AFTER THE EXPLOSION WAS 55%. A READ TAKEN AT THE SAME LOCATION 2 HOURS LATER (22%) INDICATES THE MIGRATING GAS WAS VENTING AT THIS LOCATION. THIS LOCATION WAS MONITORED THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND CONTINUED TO VENT. LOWER RESIDUAL GAS READINGS WERE ALSO OBTAINED, BUT AT NO TIME (PRE OR POST-INCIDENT) WERE THERE ANY GAS READINGS AT THE BUILDING WALL OF 10218 DODGE ROAD. BASED ON THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION SUMMARIZE ABOVE AND OUR INABILITY TO PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CUSTOMER'S FUEL LINE AND GAS APPLIANCE(S), CONSUMERS ENERGY FOUND NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT 10218 DODGE RD., WAS THE RESULT OF A RELEASE AND/OR MIGRATION OF CONSUMERS ENERGY'S JURISDICTIONAL GAS.