SUMMIT NATURAL GAS OF MISSOURI

Incident Narrative

ON JUNE 26TH, 2023, A&A CABLE WAS INSTALLING A NEW FIBER OPTIC LINE IN MOUNTAIN GROVE, MISSOURI. A&A WAS SUBCONTRACTING FOR MASTEC DOING FIBER INSTALLATIONS. A&A WAS BLIND BORING APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET, CROSSING MULTIPLE NATURAL GAS LINES, COMMUNICATIONS LINES, A SEWER MAIN, AND A WATER MAIN WITHOUT EXPOSING OR POTHOLING ANY OF THE UTILITIES BEFORE EXCAVATION TOOK PLACE. DURING THIS BLIND BORE SHOT A 2' PE NATURAL GAS MAIN OPERATED BY SUMMIT NATURAL GAS WAS STRUCK. THE GAS LINE WAS LOCATED ACCURATELY BY A SNGMO TECHNICIAN UNDER THE LOCATE REQUEST NUMBER 231690282. ONCE THE GAS LINE WAS STRUCK BY THE BORING MACHINE THE NATURAL GAS MIGRATED FOLLOWING THE PATH OF A SEWER DRAIN AND ENTERED AN EMPTY DETACHED GARAGE / WASH BAY OWNED AND OPERATED BY CRAIG HURT FUNERAL HOME. THE GARAGE CONTAINED A HANGING STYLE FURNACE WITH A STANDING PILOT. ONCE AN ADEQUATE VOLUME OF GAS HAD ENTERED THE STRUCTURE TO REACH THE LEL THE GAS IGNITED, AND A HARD IGNITION AND FIRE WAS THE RESULT. THE LACK OF DEBRIS FIELD AND REVIEW OF VIDEO INDICATED THERE WAS NO SUDDEN AND VIOLENT RELEASE OF ENERGY CONSTITUTING AN EXPLOSION. APPROXIMATELY 152 MCF OF NATURAL GAS WAS LOST DUE TO THE RUPTURE OF THE GAS MAIN. TWO VEHICLES AND OTHER PRIVATELY OWNED MATERIALS WERE LOST IN THE SUBSEQUENT FIRE IN THE GARAGE. THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS WERE A TOTAL LOSS.