ORANGE & ROCKLAND UTILITY INC

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2024, AT 1549 HRS., ORANGE AND ROCKLAND'S (O&R) GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC) RECEIVED A REPORT OF A POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO A NATURAL GAS LINE AND A STRUCTURE FIRE AT 282 AVALON GARDENS DRIVE, LOCATED IN NANUET, NEW YORK, AN EIGHT-CONDOMINIUM BUILDING. AT 1549 HRS., THE GERC BEGAN DISPATCHING MULTIPLE O&R GAS CREWS TO THE LOCATION. AT 1547 HRS., TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL IGNITION SOURCES, O&R ELECTRIC CREWS DE-ENERGIZED ELECTRIC SERVICE TO 1,515 CUSTOMERS. AT 1559 HRS., O&R GAS CREWS BEGAN TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE OF AN ACTIVE BUILDING FIRE AT 282 AVALON GARDENS DRIVE (BUILDING #28) AND BEGAN TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. UPON CONFIRMATION A GAS SERVICE HAD BEEN DAMAGED, AT 1647 HRS. O&R GAS CREWS CLOSED TWO CURB VALVES TO 282 AVALON GARDENS DRIVE (BUILDING #28) AND, AS A PRECAUTION, THE ADJACENT BUILDING #25, ISOLATING THE TWO GAS SERVICES THEREBY INTERRUPTING GAS SERVICE TO A TOTAL OF 16 GAS METERS. O&R'S INITIAL INVESTIGATION DETERMINED BORTECH COMPANY INC., A CONTRACTOR HIRED BY VERIZON, HIRED E&J PRO COMMUNICATION LLC (E&J) TO INSTALL A FIBER OPTIC CABLE CONDUIT. E&J WAS USING A PNEUMATIC TRENCHLESS TOOL KNOWN AS A ""BULLET"" (THE BULLET), WHICH DAMAGED A 3/4 INCH PLASTIC GAS SERVICE TO 282 AVALON GARDENS DRIVE. THE 3/4-INCH PLASTIC GAS SERVICE TO 282 AVALON GARDENS DRIVE (BUILDING 28) WAS LOCATED AND MARKED CORRECTLY. THE E&J EMPLOYEE ADMITTED THAT E&J DID NOT EXPOSE THE GAS OR ELECTRIC BY HAND TO VERIFY THE MARKED LOCATION PRIOR TO THE USE OF THE BULLET IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THE BULLET WAS SHOT WITHIN THE TOLERANCE ZONE OF THE GAS SERVICE AS WELL AS THE GAS MAIN AND ELECTRIC PRIMARY. THIS IS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF NYS CODE RULE 753-3.6 - VERIFICATION OF UNDERGROUND FACILITIES. ADDITIONALLY E&J ARE IN VIOLATION OF NYS CODE RULE 753-3.10 - REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING CONTACT AND DAMAGE TO UNDERGROUND FACILITIES. E&J, WHILE OPERATING THE BULLET BELOW GRADE, STRUCK A HIGH-PRESSURE PLASTIC GAS SERVICE LINE OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 (PSIG). E&J REMOVED THE BULLET AND REALIZED THE BULLET HAD STRUCK THE SERVICE. THE E&J EMPLOYEE THAT WAS OPERATING THE BULLET STATED WITHIN 1-2 MINUTES THE ESCAPING GAS FROM THE SERVICE IGNITED. THE FIRE SEVERELY DAMAGED ALL EIGHT CONDOMINIUM UNITS IN BUILDING #28. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES AND NO INJURIES. AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 HRS., O&R CREWS CUT AND CAPPED THE REMAINING ONE GAS SERVICES (EIGHT GAS METERS) TO THE FIRE DAMAGED BUILDING (#28) AND AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 HRS. O&R GAS CREWS, AS A PRECAUTION, COMPLETED A PRESSURE TEST FOR 282 AVALON GARDENS DRIVE RULING OUT ANY PRE-EXISTING LEAKS. BY 2200 HRS., O&R GAS CREWS RESTORED THE EIGHT GAS METERS (ONE GAS SERVICE) TO BUILDING #25 AND BY 2208 HRS., O&R HAD RESTORED ELECTRIC SERVICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS (1,507), EXCEPT FOR THE EIGHT DAMAGED UNITS. THE FOLLOWING DAY (9/4/2024), O&R GAS CREWS PERFORMED A LEAK SURVEY YIELDING NO LEAKS FOUND. THE FIRE WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE TOWN OF CLARKSTOWN (POLICE DEPARTMENT ARSON UNIT AND FIRE INSPECTION UNIT) LOCATED IN NEW CITY, NEW YORK. NOTES: 1. AT THIS TIME, THE ESTIMATED COST OF PUBLIC AND NON-OPERATOR PRIVATE PROPERTY DAMAGE PAID/REIMBURSED BY THE OPERATOR AND THE ESTIMATED OTHER COSTS IS UNKNOWN. 2. RE: Q21A. ESTIMATED TIME BASED UPON WHEN 44-CONTROL (ROCKLAND COUNTY EMERGENCY DISPATCH) WAS NOTIFIED A GAS LINE WAS STRUCK AND THE BUILDING WAS ON FIRE.