NTSB: Hutchinson explosion caused by underground natural gas leak
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) — The NTSB released a preliminary report on Wednesday for the explosion in Hutchinson on Feb. 22, when a gas leak was found where two pipes were welded together.
At about 10:05 a.m., an underground natural gas leak resulted in a commercial building explosion and fire in Hutchinson, Kansas, destroying the building and causing an evacuation of the area. No injuries or deaths were reported, and damages are estimated to be about $875,000. There were no injuries, but the blast left little to recover inside Steffens Auto Parts.
Hutchinson/Reno County Emergency Communications received a gas odor report from the public at 9:26 a.m. and notified the Hutchinson Fire Department, which arrived on the scene about seven minutes later. HFD personnel smelled a strong natural gas odor outdoors at the intersection of Avenue E and South Main Street at about 9:47 a.m.
As part of the emergency response to the gas odor report, HFD personnel entered a one-story commercial building at 428 South Main Street, on the corner of Avenue E and South Main. HFD personal gas monitors showed the presence of natural gas, and the only person in the building was evacuated. Seconds later, the building exploded.
“Everything that was included in that report, I think points to that Hutch fire and our staff did the right thing by handling the evacuation in a timely manner and responding to the scene very quickly,” Hutchinson Mayor Stacy Goss said. “And what’s next, I think will be on the utility.”
During an excavation of the pipe, a leak was found at a girth weld. ONE Gas isolated the leaking segment of the pipeline to stop the flow of gas.
The NTSB collected evidence and conducted interviews at the scene. A portion of the 10-inch natural gas distribution pipe was secured as evidence and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for evaluation and testing.
The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing. It plans to focus on previous failures and the leak history of the pipeline, as well as other aspects of ONE Gas’s integrity management program, state regulatory oversight, ONE Gas and emergency response training, and other elements of ONE Gas’s response.
Goss said the City of Hutchinson is working to repair and improve the streets and infrastructure affected by the explosion.
“We’re grateful to Hutch Fire Department that there were no injuries, there were no deaths,” Goss said. The business owners of Steffens Auto will be made whole through one way or another and we’re confident the street will be prepared and everything will (be) back to normal soon.”
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