A small explosion at a power substation in Troutdale caused a fire and a large plume of black smoke over the city Wednesday.
Gresham Fire responded to the fire off Sundial Road that started before noon.
If you are seeing the plume of black smoke over Troutdale, there's a fire at a power sub-station off Sundial Road. Gresham Fire is on the scene. pic.twitter.com/DMYpoF0JlX
— City of Troutdale (@CityofTroutdale) April 6, 2022
Doug Johnson, senior spokesperson for Bonneville Power Administration, said small explosions can happen when transformers fail.
“We do, from time to time, have transformers and other equipment at substations fail, but it’s not a common occurrence,” Johnson said.
The explosion did not cause any injuries, and only the single transformer sustained damage. The fire did not cause power interruptions to customers.
“There’s no imminent danger to anyone in the area around the substation,” Johnson said. “The bark is worse than the bite, it certainly looks worse than it is”
Fire crews could not immediately put out the fire as they waited for power to be turned off at the substation. The fire was put out around 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
The fire was sustained by the ignition of approximately 15,000 gallons of mineral oil that is used as a cooling agent, according to Gresham Fire.
