For Immediate Release
Contact
BGE Communications
BGE media hotline: 410-470-7433
The following statements were released by BGE over multiple days to provide updates on the incident that occurred in the 4200 block of Labyrinth Road in Baltimore, Md., on Monday, Aug. 10 2020.
BGE's response to the Jan. 12, 2021 update from Baltimore City on the investigation into this incident is available here.
Aug. 13, 2020 — 6 a.m.
We have completed the inspection of BGE gas and electric equipment serving the 4200 block of Labyrinth Road in northwest Baltimore. BGE has found that all of its equipment—gas mains, gas service pipes and gas meters, as well as electric equipment—has been operating safely and was not the cause of the natural gas explosion that occurred Aug. 10. Investigators are also examining customer-owned gas piping and appliances at the scene. The investigation into the specific events leading to the explosion will continue by the Baltimore City Fire Department and other local, state, and federal agencies, and BGE will continue to provide assistance to the ongoing investigation. To summarize the findings and actions to date:
Aug. 11, 2020 — 7 p.m.
This afternoon BGE resupplied natural gas to the portion of gas main and service pipes along a portion of Labyrinth Road that had been removed from service as a safety precaution. The gas main and service pipes successfully passed the pressurization test required to be placed back in service. BGE also inspected the gas main and service pipes with leak detection equipment and no leaks were found, confirming yesterday’s leak survey results. The process will now begin to restore service to 34 individual customer properties along the portion of Labyrinth Road that had service temporarily suspended. BGE will work directly with customers at their convenience to restore service and relight any gas appliances. BGE will leave instructions for any customers not at their homes to facilitate service restoration and, as always, customers can contact BGE at 1.800.685.0123 with any issues or to schedule an appointment.
Aug. 11, 2020 — 12 p.m.
We are continuing to work with the Baltimore City Fire Department and other investigators in the investigation of the explosion in the 4200 block of Labyrinth Road in northwest Baltimore on Aug. 10. Three of the attached rowhomes on Labyrinth Road were completely demolished in the explosion and one attached rowhome was left standing but was severely damaged.
As previously reported, BGE inspected the gas main serving the dwellings on Monday and found no leaks. After a thorough review of records, there have been no leaks reported to BGE at these properties within the last five years. All of the BGE gas mains and service pipes in the neighborhood were routinely inspected for leaks in June and July of 2019 with no leaks found.
At the request of the investigators, BGE has provided requested gas and electricity data to the Baltimore City Fire Department and other investigators. This information is being reviewed by the investigators and can be helpful to investigators on analyzing the flows of gas and electricity on customer-owned equipment.
The data is indicative of some type of issue beyond the BGE meter on customer-owned equipment and is currently being analyzed by investigators.
We will continue to work closely with the Fire Department and investigators to inspect equipment at the scene. We are committed to cooperating fully with the investigators in finding the cause of the explosion.
We continue to thank the emergency responders, city officials, BGE crews, relief agencies and members of the neighborhood for their assistance in responding to this incident. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those injured and the family members of the deceased.
As always, anyone with gas safety concerns should get to a safe location and contact BGE at 877-778-7798 or 911. Crews will respond any time, day or night, to make the situation safe.
Aug. 10, 2020 — 9 p.m.
BGE is grateful for the prompt and skilled response by the Baltimore City Fire and Police Departments and responding BGE crew members.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with those injured and the family members of the deceased. This remains an active emergency recovery effort led by the Fire Department.
Public safety is our first priority. Our crews have now inspected the Labyrinth Road gas main and canvassed all surrounding buildings. No gas readings were found in any of the buildings and no leaks were found on the Labyrinth Road gas main or services. Our crews are continuing to inspect area gas mains and services for safety and will make any necessary repairs if any issues are found.
All gas service is off to a portion of the 4200 block of Labyrinth Road. This is a standard safety procedure to aid in emergency response efforts and to ensure safety. Some electric lines in the area were damaged and crews have repaired those lines to restore power to all nearby residents who lost power.
The cause of this morning's explosion is currently unknown and we will be working with the Fire Department to investigate. BGE is committed to fully understanding the cause of this incident and will inspect all BGE equipment once rescue efforts are complete. This is an active investigation and we cannot speculate on the possible causes.
Our records indicate the following:
Once again, we thank the emergency responders and we are committed to working with them to determine what occurred. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and the family members of the deceased.
As always, anyone with any gas safety concerns should contact BGE from a safe location at 877-778-7798 or call 911. We will respond immediately to make the situation safe.
Aug. 10, 2020 — 4 p.m.
The cause of this morning's explosion in northwest Baltimore is currently unknown. BGE responded to the scene at the Fire Department's request to shut off gas and electric service in the area to make the scene safe. BGE has canvassed the area and found no current readings of gas. Once fire rescue is complete, we will begin the process of working with the Fire Department to investigate BGE equipment in the area. These inspections will include the gas mains, service piping leading to properties and gas meters. Customer-owned appliances and piping will also be investigated. Area inspections will encompass homes and gas equipment in a wide area to ensure there is no additional damage. In addition, BGE is reviewing records for this area, including any reported gas odors, recent inspection results and repairs. We are working with the Fire Department to ensure continued safety and to aid in its investigation.
As always, immediate reporting of any gas odors or issues is critical to public safety. If you suspect a gas leak or have any gas concerns where you live or work, get to a safe location and report it to BGE immediately by calling (877) 778-7798 or by calling 911. BGE will respond 24 hours a day to investigate and make the situation safe. For non-gas leak concerns, please call (800) 685-0123. For additional information about gas safety and what to do in a gas emergency visit bge.com/gassafety.
Aug. 10, 2020 — 11 a.m.
BGE received a call from the Fire Department at 9:54 this morning to respond to the scene. We are on the scene and working closely with the fire department to make the situation safe. Crews are working to turn off gas to the buildings in the immediate area. Once the gas is off we can begin to safely assess the situation including inspections of BGE equipment.