Politics & Government

Timelines Differ on Grist Mill Fire

Columbia Gas says personnel were on the scene at 6:21 a.m. The fire chief says the company did not arrive until 6:56 a.m.

Conflicting information has been released on when Columbia Gas personnel arrived to shut off the gas service for the  in Seekonk during  that destroyed the landmark building. 

A Columbia spokesman said the company was contacted at 6:05 a.m. and personnel arrived at 6:21 a.m., but the incident report from the  states they arrived at 6:56 a.m.

"If they had personnel on scene [earlier], they didn't report to [incident] command," Fire Chief Alan Jack told the Board of Selectmen at the Wednesday night meeting.

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

[The department's incident report is attached to this article]

Selectman Gary Sagar, who is a retired Attleboro fire captain, told Jack he should request Columbia's radio transmission and phone records from the Sunday fire as well as the blaze last month at an abandoned mill, which was also controversial because of the length of time it took the company to shut off gas service. Jack said he would make the request.

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Columbia spokesman Don DiNunno told Seekonk Patch on Thursday that he stands by the company's timeline. He said it was based on GPS coordinates of Columbia's trucks.

"We know where our trucks are at all times," DiNunno said.

DiNunno said in that the gas could have been turned off almost immediately after personnel arrived, but the valve was too close to the flames. Workers had to find an alternative set of valves to shut off the gas, and it took a significant amount of time to find and maneuver them. Gas was shut off at 7:58 a.m., according to Columbia and at 8:01 a.m., according to the fire department.

Sagar and selectmen Chair Francis Cavaco said both timelines had the gas being turned off too late, and they likened this incident to the struggle to turn off the gas in last month's fire.

"This continuance going on of trying to find valves … can't shut [gas] off—not acceptable," Cavaco said. "This is strike two and I'd hate to see what strike three will bring. And hopefully that will never happen."

Selectman Dave Parker did not participate in the discussion because he did not want to interfere with the ongoing state police investigation and the possibility that there could be litigation stemming from the incident. Selectman Bob McLintock was not in attendance.

Cavaco read a list of mitigation demands for Columbia (which are attached to this article) to prevent future incidents. They include mapping all the valves in the town and making sure they function by the end of the year. This order was also made following the previous fire. DiNunno told Patch on Thursday that Columbia would comply with the demands. 

The selectmen are expected to invite Columbia to appear at the next meeting on July 11. DiNunno said he had not received an invitation, but officials would attend the meeting if they were asked to do so.


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