By Corey Jones
The Capital-Journal
TOPEKA, Kan. — A perfect storm of occurrences culminated in a natural gas explosion that splintered a house in southwest Topeka and left the homeowner hospitalized in serious condition, investigators said Wednesday.
Topeka Fire Department Investigator Michael Martin on Wednesday afternoon said the homeowner, Lucinia “Lucy” Tolliver, 81, remained in serious condition at The University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
Martin said damage to a gas service line about 11:40 a.m. Monday caused it to separate from the main line at a level of about 6 feet underground.
He said the exact migration of the gas into the residence at 1905 S.W. Navajo remains under investigation.
“This is one of those terrible things that had a series of events that caused it to happen,” he said.
Martin said a contractor hit the service line when putting in a sprinkler system in a neighboring yard and pulled the line out from the main gas line.
Tom Shimon, executive director of Kansas One-Call, said the Wetmore-based excavation company - N-Line Lawn Service - had called the state’s underground utility notification center to report it would be installing a line sprinkler system at 1912 S.W. Arrowhead Road.
That location is directly west of the residence that exploded.
Shimon said his agency notified the appropriate local utilities after receiving N-Line Lawn Service’s notice.
Martin said the utility lines had been marked at the dig site.
What makes this explosive incident atypical, Martin said, is the break occurred deep underground.
Natural gas, which is lighter than air, dissipates as it rises into the atmosphere. It also follows the path of least resistance to escape, Martin said.
Because the breach occurred deep underground, the gas could have entered Tolliver’s home via such routs as a pipe, sewer line or cracks in the dirt.
“It had to find its path out of there,” Martin said, “and through whatever set of circumstances it found its way into 1905 Navajo.”
Martin stressed this isn’t a normal scenario.
People in their homes shouldn’t expect the structures to suddenly blow up, he said.
“Generally, if someone breaks a service line in the middle of a yard, there isn’t a terrible concern that something like this is going to happen,” he said.
There still is some concern when there is a break venting directly into the atmosphere, Martin said, because it could find an ignition source. But the concerns are lessened because the gas is dissipating into the air.
Fire officials estimate the dollar losses from the explosion will exceed several hundred thousand dollars.
The Kansas Corporation Commission, the state’s utility-regulating body, has the responsibility of further investigating the incident with assistance from Kansas Gas Service.
Shimon said state law requires excavators to notify Kansas One-Call of impending dig plans.
Homeowners digging on their own property are exempt from this requirement if they are doing the work themselves and not contracting it out.
“But we encourage everyone to call, especially homeowners,” he said.
After the explosion, Tolliver was helped from the burning rubble of her home by a neighbor and a Kansas Gas Service employee.
It had been previously reported that it was two KGS employees.
Martin said the neighbor was the only person to see Tolliver in the flames and debris.
Tolliver was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to KU medical center.
The victim is a retiree of The Topeka Capital-Journal.
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