After Explosions, Merrimack Valley Tries To Get Back To 'Normal'

ANDOVER, MA -- Regular trash collection scheduled will resume in all three communities on Monday, and schools in Andover and North Andover will reopen for the first time since gas explosions ripped through the three communities Thursday afternoon. Officials finally let everyone who was evacuated Thursday night return home on Sunday morning, and National Grid expected all customers to have electric service by 8 pm Sunday. Gas service will take longer -- possibly much longer -- to restore, with officials from all three towns only saying that it could take "a significant amount of time."

And the investigation into what caused the explosions that set off more than 60 fires could take even longer. While investigators may be able to offer a preliminary assessment of the cause within a few weeks or few months, a full report by the federal agencies leading the investigation could take as long as two years.

In Andover, life seemed almost as it did on any other late summer Sunday afternoon. Businesses and restaurants reopened -- although some offered limited menus because they had to throw food out during the power outage. The town announced trash that was supposed to have been picked up Friday will be collected on Monday, and the rest of the town's routes will be delayed one day this week. Residents -- at least for now -- seem more worried about getting back to normal than the lingering worries of what happened and could it happen again.

"Power is just one piece to it. There’s still lots to do to address the thousands of residents waiting to have the gas put back on," one woman posted on a closed Facebook group for Andover residents to discuss local issues. "No hot water and/or cooking. Grateful to have Eversource leading the effort, but there’s a lot to clean up yet."

Related: How To Help

While all Andover gas customers are served by Columbia Gas, that utility's slow response in the 24 hours after the first fires broke out prompted Gov. Charlie Baker to effectively "fire" Columbia and replace them with Eversource in the recovery effort.

Lawrence officials said they would keep schools closed on Monday to allow for more time to restore gas and electric service. In south Lawrence, the relief of being allowed to finally return home Sunday morning was short-lived when a fire broke out in a Diamond Street apartment building. The fire was quickly extinguished and Lawrence Fire officials almost as quickly issued a statement that the three-alarm fire was unrelated to Thursday's explosions and fires.

The fire was reported by a couple who had just returned home to the building on Diamond Street after having been evacuated Thursday nigh. They called 911 and alerted neighbors to get out of the building.

"It is important to remain alert to potential hazards as you re-enter the area. Please be on the lookout for gas leaks and call 911 if you detect one," Eversource said in a statement.

Moving From "What Happened?" To "Why Did It Happen?"

On Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that a sudden pressure buildup in Columbia's transmission lines led to the explosions. The next step of the investigation will be to determine whether or not work by Columbia Gas crews caused that pressure increase.

Investigators have been in the region since Friday and will stay another 7 to 10 days to collect information. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt warned that the investigation into what caused the explosions that led to more than 60 fires, 25 injuries and the death of an 18-year-old Lawrence man could take weeks or even months. The complete investigation aimed at preventing similar incidents, he said, could take as long as two years to complete.

Part of the NTSB investigation will focus on the response of Columbia Gas to the crisis. The utility, which serves 50,000 customers in Massachusetts, waited five hours after the first fires broke out to issue a statement and did not make officials available for public comment until Friday afternoon. The slow response was a prime factor in Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to declare a state of emergency and essentially "fire" Columbia Gas and replace it with Eversource as the lead utility in the response and restoration efforts.

"We know that this has damaged the confidence and trust in our company," Joe Hamrock, chief executive of Columbia Gas parent company NiSource said Sunday.

Because the investigation is in its earliest stages, Sumwalt was reluctant to pinpoint the cause or cast blame. While a sudden pressure increase was noted in Columbia Gas's control room in Columbus, OH, Sumwalt suggested it was too early to say what happened with any precision.

"We are never going to speculate on the cause of the accident," he said. "Our mission is to find out what happened so it does not happen again."

Aid Still Available

Eversource stationed representatives at the Senior Center on Whittier Court in Andover to answer residents questions. North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor was on Main Street near town hall Sunday morning also answering questions. The Red Cross, Salvation Army and other relief organizations continue to staff a Recovery Resource Center at the Arlington Middle School at 150 Arlington Street in Lawrence for residents of all three communities.

The restoration of electric service -- which was cut by National Grid to 18,500 customers Thursday night to prevent additional fires -- was a relief for many. But officials also warned it could be "a significant amount of time" before gas service is restored to customers in the three communities. The more than 8,000 gas connections that were turned off now need to be turned on by utility workers, a process that could take several days. Residents can call 1-866-388-3239 to request restoration at their house. As always, officials were urging them to call 911 if they smell gas.

North Andover planned to close the shelter it has been operating at the high school by 1 pm on Sunday. Andover also said it was winding down operations at its shelter at the senior center on Sunday morning and that it would be closed by "dinnertime" on Sunday. The MBTA resumed normal service on the Haverhill line starting with the first scheduled trains on Sunday morning.

If You Were Forced To Evacuate Or Had Property Damage

Officials reiterated warnings Sunday that residents should not attempt to turn their gas back on and that restoration of gas service to all affected customers could take some time. Eversource outlined the procedures its following to restore service on its Website.

You can call Columbia Gas at 800-525-8222 to ask them to restore service to your house. You can also call that number to schedule a safety check of your home if you have concerns.

If you have property damage, you can call the Columbia Gas Property Claims Helpline at 800-590-5571 or visit their Property Claims Center at the Lawrence Public Library at 51 Lawrence Ave. from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays.

Columbia Gas will reimburse residents who had to evacuate for "reasonable accommodations" and food during the time they were evacuated. You can request reimbursement by contacting their Property Claims Helpline at 800-590-5571. Keep track of your receipts and expenses so you can be reimbursed.

More Coverage On Patch:

• Pressure Increase Noted In Pipeline Console Prior To Explosions
• How To Help
• For Evacuees, Few Answers On What's Next After Gas Explosions
• Columbia Gas Was Slow To Respond To 2012 Explosion In WV
• Merrimack Valley Explosions: 'It's A Ghost Town'
• 'War Zone:' Evacuations, Gas Explosions In Merrimack Valley

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Columbia Gas workers escorted by an Andover police officer and a fire fighter go door-to-door in Andover on Friday. Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).