Seekonk wants answers from gas company

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) - Officials want answers from Columbia Gas Company, following the accident and fire that burned a landmark restaurant to the ground.

The Seekonk Board of Selectmen focused on a major discrepancy on when the gas company actually showed up at the scene of Sunday's fire at the Old Grist Mill Tavern.

The board also wants to know why it took so long for the company to shut off gas to the building, which hampered firefighters in their efforts to fight the blaze.

Selectman Francis Cavaco was at the scene of the fire.

"I was there when the gas employees were running around in confusion looking for the valves," Cavaco said.

Columbia officials say company workers were notified of the fire at 6:05 Sunday morning, and had arrived on scene by 6:21.

Seekonk Fire Chief Alan Jack disputed those times.

"6:56 the gas company was reported on the scene," Jack said, "In talking to all personnel at the scene that was the first time there was any face to face with fire personnel and gas company representatives."

The chief added that once the gas company arrived on scene, it took three attempts to shut off the gas.

Selectmen claim it took more than an hour.

The communications director for Columbia Gas responded to the concerns with a letter station in part, "After carefully assessing the situation, the appropriate action was to develop a plan to isolate the burning building by shutting off the flow of gas using a combination of other valves,while minimizing the negative impact to other customers."

Chief Jack says his next step is to try and get a copy of the gas company's phone records, to try and determine what time they actually showed up.