Gas pipeline outside Sandman Hotel did not play a role in explosion, ATMOS says
At approximately 11:00 a.m. this morning, the Fort Worth Fire Department was notified by Atmos Energy that they had concluded their underground assessment of the natural gas pipeline outside the Sandman Signature Hotel (810 Houston Street). The gas company stated that “its safety checks and investigation has found no indication that its system was involved in the January 8th incident.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was present throughout the incident to oversee the Atmos testing and did not raise objection to the statements from Atmos.
At this time, the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) can confidently say that it appears that the events from January 8th were not triggered from outside of the structure. While FWFD remains confident that natural gas was involved, they will transition the investigation to focus on the inside of the structure.
The fire investigation unit will continue to be the lead agency, working collaboratively with the Fort Worth Police Department and other partner agencies. We will continue to work alongside the Sandman Signature Hotel leadership to complete a thorough investigation and intends to be a part of the debris removal to assess the areas of damage for additional cause and determination information.
“Although this is still in the early stages of the investigation, this is a significant development and provides us the ability to focus on a smaller footprint in order to try and determine a cause of this tragic event for all involved,” stated Fire Chief Jim Davis. “We appreciate everyone’s continued cooperation.”
