DTE GAS COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON MARCH 5, 2015 AT 08:42 DTE GAS WAS NOTIFIED OF A CUSTOMER LEAK COMPLAINT AT THE RESIDENCE OF 5204 TRENTON IN DETROIT, MI. THE DTE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 09:29 AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS AN ODOR IN THE BASEMENT AND A 19-YEAR OLD MALE WAS INJURED THE DAY BEFORE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO TREAT BURNS HE RECEIVED FROM THE WAIST UP. THE TECHNICIAN BEGAN HIS LEAK INVESTIGATION AND FOUND COMBUSTIBLE READS IN THE BASEMENT FLOOR DRAIN AT 5204 TRENTON. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ALSO REPORTED WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT AND SOME BURNING HAD OCCURRED IN THE BASEMENT AT 5204 TRENTON. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ALSO FOUND COMBUSTIBLE READINGS IN THE BASEMENT FLOOR DRAINS AT ADDRESSES 5196 AND 5210 TRENTON. A TOTAL OF ELEVEN PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED FROM THE THREE HOMES. THE DTE GAS DISTRIBUTION CREW PERFORMED UNDERGROUND LEAK CHECKS OVER THE SERVICE LINES AND THE DISTRIBUTION MAIN IN THE AREA AROUND 5204 TRENTON. THE CREW REPORTED A 100 FOOT SPREAD OF 98% NATURAL GAS READINGS OVER THE 6-INCH CAST IRON MAIN AND AT THE BUILDING WALLS OF ADDRESSES 5204, 5196 AND 5210 TRENTON. THE DISTRIBUTION CREW FOUND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACK IN THE 6-INCH CAST IRON MAIN. THE DISTRIBUTION CREW REPAIRED THE LEAK WITH A 6-INCH BY 18-INCH REPAIR CLAMP. THE FROST DEPTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 48 INCHES CAUSING THE MAIN TO BREAK AND DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THE LEAK. THE 19-YEAR OLD MALE THAT WAS INJURED LATER DIED.