Cause of Zimmy's Tavern fire revealed, evidence of natural gas leak found underground, in nearby sewer
NTSB
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Besides firefighters, members of AltaGas Ltd. subsidiary SEMCO Energy, Inc., the natural gas operator providing service to the area, arrived on scene.
Officials soon found evidence of natural gas underground on adjacent properties and in the sewer, consistent with a leak in the gas distribution piping.
At around 11:36 a.m. is when first responders evacuated a 500-foot radius around Zimmy's before expanding the radius to a quarter mile.
At around 12:07 p.m., AltaGas shut off gas to the area by squeezing off a nearby gas main.
AltaGas field personnel identified the and excavated the suspected leak location, which was a section of pipe 60 feet away from Zimmy's.
Officials noted the leak was coming from a butt fusion joint on the main.
Investigators obtained sections of the pipeline and associated components for further testing and examination at the NTSB Materials Laboratory.
The incident remains under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause to issue safety recommendations to prevent future incidents.
