BLACK HILLS ENERGY

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 0430 HOURS THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE AT 6801 SOUTH 52ND STREET WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, THE ENERGY SOURCE EXITED THE STRUCTURE THROUGH THE CUSTOMERS' GAS PIPING CAUSING A HOLE TO BE BLOWN IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE COPPER PIPE AND A RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS AT 2 PSIG WAS IGNITED. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE INITIAL FIRE CAUSED HEAT BUILDUP AT THE METER/REGULATING FACILITY. WITHIN A SHORT TIME SPAN THE METER/REGULATOR FAILED RELEASING GAS AT 50 PSIG. THIS RELEASE OF GAS FUELED THE FIRE, MAGNIFYING THE INTENSITY AND SPREAD. OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE STRUCTURE WITHOUT INJURY. BLACK HILLS ENERGY (BHE) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE AT 05:03 BY EMERGENCY RESPONSE CREWS. BLACK HILLS TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE AT 05:07 AND ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 05:44 AND BEGAN WORKING WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ON THE PROPER RESPONSE. ADDITIONAL CREWS WERE DISPATCHED BY BHE AT 06:01 TO DISCONNECT GAS SERVICE TO THE STRUCTURE. THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED AT 07:46. BLACK HILLS REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE NRC AT 0923 (CDT) WHEN IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THIS INCIDENT LIKELY MET THE CRITERIA FOR A REPORTABLE INCIDENT. SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN RESTORED THE THE STRUCTURE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT.