A transformer on one of America’s tallest dams briefly caught fire on Tuesday morning before the Hoover Dam fire brigade extinguished the flames, the Guardian reported.
No one was injured in the blaze and there is no disruption to the power grid, the Bureau of Reclamation said in a statement. The blaze was extinguished within about 30 minutes before firefighters from the Boulder City fire department arrived on scene, the Nevada city reported on Facebook.
“There is no risk to the power grid and power is still being generated from the powerhouse. We are investigating the cause of the fire and will provide additional updates as they are available,” Jacklynn L Gould, a regional director of the Bureau of Reclamation, said in a statement.
Social media video, unconfirmed and apparently taken by a tourist, showed a small explosion and smoke and fire coming from the base of the dam.
“We arrived at the scene and turned away. Everything was all set,” said Lisa LaPlante, Boulder City communications manager. “The fire was extinguished.”
No one was transported to the hospital by Boulder City emergency responders, she said, though other units were on the scene.
The dam, completed in 1936, is built across the Colorado River at the Nevada-Arizona border and impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States. It is crucial to the water supply of 25 million people, including in the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas.
ZZ/PR
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