CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:38 HOURS A CONTRACTOR PERFORMING ROAD RECONSTRUCTION AT THE INTERSECTION OF DORT HIGHWAY AND I-69 IN FLINT, MICHIGAN (GENESEE COUNTY) MADE CONTACT WITH AN 8"" PLASTIC GAS DISTRIBUTION MAIN, CAUSING A GOUGE IN ITS UPPER QUADRANT, AND RESULTING IN BLOWING GAS. THE FLINT FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:50 ASSESSED THE SITUATION AND LEFT BEFORE CE PERSONNEL ARRIVE. CONSUMERS ENERGY (CE) WAS NOTIFIED AND PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON-SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 12.06 TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC HAZARD, SECURE THE SITE AND ASSESS THE DAMAGE TO CE FACILITIES TO DETERMINE NEXT STEPS. AT APPROXIMATELY 13:20 THE ESCAPING GAS IGNITED RESULTING IN A FIREBALL INJURING TWO MOTORISTS TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON DORT HWY. ONE MOTORIST WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL AND THE SECOND MOTORIST WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL BY PRIVATE VEHICLE. BOTH MOTORISTS SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED OVERNIGHT HOSPITALIZATION. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT/EMS RETURNED TO THE SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 13:27 TO ASSIST THE INJURED MOTORISTS AND REQUESTED POLICE SUPPORT TO BLOCK HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF DORT HWY AND A SECTION OF EAST AND WESTBOUND I-69 WERE BLOCKED AS A RESULT OF THE IGNITION. RAILROAD OPERATORS WERE ALSO NOTIFIED TO DIVERT RAIL TRAFFIC FROM THE DAMAGE SITE. THE PIPELINE WAS SQUEEZED OFF AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE DAMAGE AREA AND BLOWING GAS WAS STOPPED AT APPROXIMATELY 16:18, THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AT APPROXIMATELY 16:31. THE VEHICLES DRIVEN BY THE INJURED MOTORIST AS WELL AS A CRANE BEING UTILIZED AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE MAY HAVE INCURRED HEAT DAMAGE.