Lightning strike fires reignite safety concerns for corrugated stainless steel gas tubing

Thunderstorm season has begun brewing in the Lowcountry. Are you wondering if your home is safe from potential lightning strikes? During a recent DINA meeting, Charleston City Chief Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh educated residents on one potential hazard that may be lurking in your pipes.

Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) is commonly used in homes on Daniel Island and across the nation. The product is a very lightweight tubing wrapped in jacketing that is intended to carry natural gas throughout a home.

According to some manufacturer estimates, CSST has been installed in as many as 10 million homes in the U.S. since the 1990’s. 

“This particular gas piping doesn’t always interact well with lightning strikes,” said Julazadeh. “However, there are actually measures you can take now to make sure your gas installation is (or was) as safe as it can be.”

Concerns with CSST begin with the explosion that can start when a bolt of lightning sends electricity coursing through the yellow pipes that supply natural gas to appliances or heaters. Chief Julazadeh, and fire marshals nationwide, warn that this product can pose a hazard when lightning strikes nearby.

“You can’t really predict what’s going to happen during a lightning strike,” said Julazadeh. “But, when lightning strikes in the vicinity of a home with improperly bonded CSST, it is possible to create an arc between the CSST and another object, creating a small hole in the gas line, and subsequently igniting the gas vapor.”

“CSST fire events are a result of an ‘act of nature’ following a lightning strike,” he clarified. “Circumstances created by improperly bonded CSST contribute to a fire, not start it.”

“When lightning strikes in the area of a home, improperly grounded and bonded CSST systems or utilities may become energized, arc to another metallic system and create a hole in the piping,” Julazadeh continued. “The escaping gas vapor may then ignite, leading to a very serious and dangerous fire. We encourage everyone with gas lines in their home or business to have an inspection by a licensed professional to ensure that, if there is CSST, it is properly bonded.”

Julazadeh said city firefighters have responded to fires that involve lightning and CSST in the Charleston area. He told his DINA audience that over the last five years, the city has had about 30 house fires related to lightning strikes, and about 30 percent of those occurred in the Daniel Island/Cainhoy area. Of those, he continued, approximately 50 percent involved some sort of gas line rupture, post lightning strike. As the Fire Department started working to understand the issues presented by the tubing over the last several months, they determined there was a need to increase awareness among building inspectors, fire inspectors, fire investigators and the general public.

“Over the last month we have been promoting safety information through social media and would like to start working more with neighborhood associations,” said Julazadeh. “Our goal is to educate the public on identifying potential hazards posed during a lightning event if CSST is not properly bonded and grounded.”

Julazadeh’s office has been in touch with the Daniel Island Company and Jane Baker of the Daniel Island Property Owner’s Association about the issue. He noted at the recent DINA meeting that the Daniel Island Company reached out to residential contractors who work in our area. The contractors indicated that they are all very aware of CSST issues and have taken proper precautions during installations, added Julazadeh.

When a DINA audience member at the April 4 meeting asked Julazadeh, and assistant Fire Marshal Rick Anewalt, if CSST is visible or hidden in sheetrock, the answer was “yes” to both.

“A lot of (the piping) runs underneath the house,” said Anewalt. “The couple of fires on Daniel Island, the situation was running under the house. But it goes through walls and it is in attic space. The problem here is that you cannot visually inspect everything. However, generally the part you want to inspect is outside so they (a licensed, experienced electrician or contractor) will be able to take a look at it.”

CSST guidelines now call for gas piping systems to have a minimum 6-gauge bonding wire between the tubing and the building’s grounding electrode to reduce the risk of a natural gas leak or fire.

“As electricians, what we do is check to see if the CSST has been properly bonded and grounded with #6 gauge copper wire,” said electrician Jamel Anderson of Charleston’s Transworld Electric. “An inspection should take less than an hour to check and see that the system has been bonded and grounded.”

“Lightning is a very destructive force that can cause unpredictable damage to property,” added Julazadeh. “Properly bonding and grounding the system significantly reduces the risk of fire following a lightning strike in the immediate area. Newer products include some bonding features built into the piping and are not as susceptible to these issues.”

Most manufacturers included recommendations on grounding and bonding, Julazadeh said, but added more specific information to products manufactured after approximately 2006.

“Model codes in the U.S. did not require direct bonding of CSST until 2009, but these codes were not immediately adopted in SC. International codes, which included requirements for direct bonding, were adopted in SC in 2013.”

Anyone with concerns about CSST is encouraged to visit the website www.csstsafety.com.

“The website contains a wealth of information regarding the issue, identifying CSST, and bonding/grounding,” noted Julazadeh. “It includes discussions and short video clips. If you are still uncertain or would like to have your home inspected, contact a licensed electrician who can review the system for proper bonding and grounding.”