Bel Air House Explosion Report By NTSB Outlines Events Leading Up To The Deadly Blast

BEL AIR, MD — On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report about the BGE natural gas explosion that flattened a Bel Air home Aug. 11 and killed the homeowner and a BGE contractor, while injuring a second BGE contractor.

On the night of Aug. 10, the home at 2300 Arthurs Woods Drive lost power. A neighbor also called BGE and reported smelling gas while out for a walk that same night within 0.2 miles of the home. Within half an hour, a BGE technician arrived and reported not finding a leak, but still detected the smell of gas. The technician informed its electric dispatch operator and the need for repairs was passed on to a contractor, Patch reported previously.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m. the next morning, the Bel Air house exploded while two BGE contractors were working to determine the problem and make repairs. Around 6:05 a.m. that morning, a BGE employee reported smelling gas in front of the home. The homeowner, 73-year-old Ray Corkran, Jr., was found dead in the home, Patch reported. A BGE contractor, later identified as 35-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado. The other contractor sustained minor injuries. A neighbor also was injured and 12 families in the area were displaced after the explosion damaged their homes.

The report stated that BGE provided natural gas and electrical service to the home and were connected to the house through a natural gas distribution system located nearby. The system included a “1-1/4-inch diameter plastic main, installed in 2006, and a 1/2-inch diameter plastic service line, installed in 2007.” The operating pressure of the gas system at the time of the explosion was at “about 89 pounds per square inch gauge (psig), below the maximum allowable operating pressure,” the report said. Electrical service to the home was supplied by a set of three electrical cables, installed in a common trench together with the gas pipe, the report explained.

Before NTSB investigators arrived at the home, BGE tested the gas line pressure and found damaged electrical service cables and a plastic service line with a hole in the bottom. After the investigators arrived, BGE also detected gas underground around the house. During its investigation, the NTSB examined the gas and electrical lines that were dug up after the explosion. The lines were 3 to 15 inches apart, the report stated.

The report did not pinpoint the reason for the gas leak. The NTSB wrote in the report that the investigation will continue and focus on “BGE’s construction practices, the process for recording and responding to odor complaints, and its pipeline safety management system, as well as other causal factors.”

BGE released a statement Wednesday following the NTSB’s preliminary report, saying it’s “committed to reinforcing and improving our safety-first culture for our customers, employees, contractors, and entire service area.” The company said it has also taken the following steps to enhance the safety, reliability and performance of its system and employees:

• Implemented refresher trainings reemphasizing proactive safety measures and gas and electric emergency processes.
• Reinforced facility procedures with craft employees and an enhanced process to ensure employees responding to issues at these locations can maintain the safety of the gas and electric systems.
• Increased oversight of emergency customer calls to the company.

Related:

House Explosion Leaves 2 Dead, 12 Families Displaced In Bel Air

2 Victims In Sunday's Bel Air Home Explosion Identified: Maryland Fire Marshal