PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON JUNE 18, 2015 AT 1632 HOURS, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF A STRUCTURE FIRE AT 2421 OREGON STREET (AT ALVARADO NILES ROAD) IN UNION CITY. THE FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED IN A CARPORT AREA, WHICH THEN MIGRATED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE METER SET IS LOCATED. THE FIRE MELTED A 5-METER MANIFOLD AND REGULATOR, CAUSING AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY IGNITED. THIS IS A FIRE FIRST INCIDENT AS PG&E'S FACILITIES WERE SECONDARILY INVOLVED. THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE REPORT STATES ""EXTERIOR INVESTIGATION OF UTILITIES DID NOT PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OF ELECTRIC OR GAS SYSTEM."" PG&E'S GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED ON SITE AT 1644 HOURS AND OBSERVED THAT GAS HAD ALREADY BEEN SHUT OFF AT THE SERVICE VALVE BY FIRE OFFICIALS. THE GSR REMOVED THE REGULATOR, PLUGGED THE SERVICE VALVE, CONDUCTED A LEAK TEST OF THE VALVE AND DID NOT DETECT ANY LEAKS. THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE AND TWO NEARBY BUILDINGS WERE EVACUATED. A SPECIAL LEAK SURVEY OF THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS PERFORMED AND NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED. THE TOTAL COST OF DAMAGES IS ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $50,000. ONE FATALITY WAS REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. BAY AREA NEWS MEDIA WAS ALSO OBSERVED ONSITE DURING THE INCIDENT.