PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

AT 1610 HOURS ON AUGUST 26, 2015, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF A VEHICLE IMPACT INCIDENT AT 2055 WHITE OAK LANE IN SANTA CLARA. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A 3-METER MANIFOLD OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING RESULTING IN AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY IGNITED. THE BUILDING THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE IS A SMALL STRIP MALL CONSISTING OF FOUR BUSINESSES AT 2035, 2041, 2045, AND 2055 WHITE OAK LANE IN SANTA CLARA. THE FACILITY IMPACTED BY THE INCIDENT WAS LOCATED BEHIND A CHAIN-LINK FENCE MORE THAN FIVE FEET FROM THE ROADWAY, ON THE SIDE OF 2055 WHITE OAK LANE, ADJACENT TO THE PARKING LOT OF 2065 WHITE OAK LANE. UPON ARRIVAL, THE FIRE OFFICIALS EVACUATED THE BUILDING. A PG&E GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED ON SITE A 1626 HOURS AND CREWS ARRIVED ONSITE AT 1712 HOURS. GAS WAS SHUT IN AT 2041 HOURS BY EXCAVATING AND SQUEEZING THE 1-INCH PLASTIC SERVICE. BAY AREA MAJOR MEDIA WERE OBSERVED ON SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 1711 HOURS. DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE FIRE ARE ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $50,000, MAKING THE INCIDENT REPORTABLE TO BOTH THE DOT AND CPUC. POLICE NOTED THAT THIS WAS A HIT-AND-RUN COLLISION AND NOTED THERE ARE NO FATALITIES. TWO INDIVIDUALS (INCLUDING ONE FIREFIGHTER) WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.