5 ms·

Explosion and Fire at Hoover Dam

41 points by bison3 4y ago

PaulHoule 4y ago
Looks like a transformer blew up. Happens all the time. Funny how the best footage on TV news comes from random cell phones.
- idiotsecant 4y ago
  From the photos this looks like it might be an isophase bus GSU transformer, which is responsible for stepping up generation voltages for one or more generation units to substation voltages. These transformers are large, very expensive, very long-lead custom designs and consequently are closely monitored for temperature rise, hydrocarbon gas discharge, and gas pressure, in addition to various other electrical relay protection schemes acting on the faster electrical damage hazards. They are usually very well protected against all possible major equipment failures. The fact that this happened is an enormous screwup, it's not even within a few orders of magnitude of the power pole transformer that blows up during a lightning storm or similar.
  - salawat 4y ago
    Anyone else feeling like mishaps involving backbone infrastructure and logistics centers are getting a bit common?
    - mc32 4y ago
      Seems like it but might be due to poor maintenance schedules over the last two years catching up to us rather than sabotage or the like.
      - idiotsecant 4y ago
        Yes, but more like 20 years than 2. A lot of utilities out there are failing to properly maintain major infrastructure due to a a lot of complex factors not the least of which is that maintaining things is fundamentally 'unsexy' to management
fooey 4y ago
Couple of follow up tweets from Boulder City NV https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/1549446959366230016 https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/154944695936623001... > Boulder City Fire Department is en route to an emergency call at Hoover Dam. No further information is available at this time. https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/1549455201676931072 https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/154945520167693107... > the fire was extinguished before Boulder City Fire Department arrived on scene. Bureau of Reclamation/ Hoover Dam will be handling any additional questions. And finally, the official news release from Bureau of Reclamation https://twitter.com/usbr/status/1549460732726714371 https://twitter.com/usbr/status/1549460732726714371 https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4273 https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4273 > At approx. 10 a.m. PDT, the A5 transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire & was extinguished by @usbr/Hoover fire brigade at approx. 10:30am PDT. There are no injuries to visitors/employees. There is no risk to the power grid. Power is still being generated from the powerhouse. > We are investigating the cause of the fire & will provide additional updates as they are available.
- rasz 4y ago
  >transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire you do NOT want to be anywhere near old transformer oil, burning or otherwise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer_oil#Polychlorinated_biphenyls_(PCBs) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer_oil#Polychlorinate...
ArekDymalski 4y ago
Glad that it's not the beginning of Fallout New Vegas story line ;)
- peddling-brink 4y ago
  Are you confident it’s not? I’m not confident anymore.
nathanaldensr 4y ago
LOL. The whole Twitter thread is news agencies asking if they can use the video, and regular people telling the OP to "screw credit, get paid!"

41 points by bison3 4y ago

Looks like a transformer blew up. Happens all the time. Funny how the best footage on TV news comes from random cell phones.

idiotsecant 4y ago
From the photos this looks like it might be an isophase bus GSU transformer, which is responsible for stepping up generation voltages for one or more generation units to substation voltages. These transformers are large, very expensive, very long-lead custom designs and consequently are closely monitored for temperature rise, hydrocarbon gas discharge, and gas pressure, in addition to various other electrical relay protection schemes acting on the faster electrical damage hazards. They are usually very well protected against all possible major equipment failures. The fact that this happened is an enormous screwup, it's not even within a few orders of magnitude of the power pole transformer that blows up during a lightning storm or similar.
- salawat 4y ago
  Anyone else feeling like mishaps involving backbone infrastructure and logistics centers are getting a bit common?
  - mc32 4y ago
    Seems like it but might be due to poor maintenance schedules over the last two years catching up to us rather than sabotage or the like.
    - idiotsecant 4y ago
      Yes, but more like 20 years than 2. A lot of utilities out there are failing to properly maintain major infrastructure due to a a lot of complex factors not the least of which is that maintaining things is fundamentally 'unsexy' to management

fooey 4y ago

Couple of follow up tweets from Boulder City NV https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/1549446959366230016 https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/154944695936623001... > Boulder City Fire Department is en route to an emergency call at Hoover Dam. No further information is available at this time. https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/1549455201676931072 https://twitter.com/BoulderCityNev/status/154945520167693107... > the fire was extinguished before Boulder City Fire Department arrived on scene. Bureau of Reclamation/ Hoover Dam will be handling any additional questions. And finally, the official news release from Bureau of Reclamation https://twitter.com/usbr/status/1549460732726714371 https://twitter.com/usbr/status/1549460732726714371 https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4273 https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4273 > At approx. 10 a.m. PDT, the A5 transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire & was extinguished by @usbr/Hoover fire brigade at approx. 10:30am PDT. There are no injuries to visitors/employees. There is no risk to the power grid. Power is still being generated from the powerhouse. > We are investigating the cause of the fire & will provide additional updates as they are available.

rasz 4y ago
>transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire you do NOT want to be anywhere near old transformer oil, burning or otherwise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer_oil#Polychlorinated_biphenyls_(PCBs) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer_oil#Polychlorinate...

ArekDymalski 4y ago

Glad that it's not the beginning of Fallout New Vegas story line ;)

peddling-brink 4y ago
Are you confident it’s not? I’m not confident anymore.

nathanaldensr 4y ago

LOL. The whole Twitter thread is news agencies asking if they can use the video, and regular people telling the OP to "screw credit, get paid!"