An Oct. 12 hydro pole fire on Cree Road in Thompson that was captured on video and posted on Facebook resulted in power outages for about 600 customers in the city but no one was injured.
“As the Facebook video shows, a pole fire can be extremely dangerous as live power lines can come to the ground,” said Manitoba Hydro media relations officer Bruce Owen. “People must stay at least 10 metres away and call 911 immediately if they see a damaged or fallen power line.”
No injuries resulted when the pole collapsed around 6:40 p.m. Power was restored to affected customers by about 10 p.m., Owen said.
“A pole fire can be caused by weather conditions such as light snow, rain or dense fog,” Owen explained. “Simply, moisture can get into a tiny crack on an insulator and create a pathway for electricity to travel from the power line to the wood pole. Electricity is always looking for the easiest way to get to the ground and with a pole fire, the easiest way is through the wood pole. The result is a short circuit and fire. The fire can burn through the pole and leave the cross-arms and insulators suspended by the wires. The outcome is almost always a power outage. Poles damaged by fire usually need to be replaced.”
Thompson Fire & Emergency Services Chief Mike Bourgon said firefighters were at the scene just to secure the area.
“It’s fairly common for that to happen with Manitoba Hydro,” he said. “As soon as the scene is deemed safe for the public and then the lines are no longer charged – so they disconnect the power –then we remove ourselves from the scene and Manitoba Hydro takes over.”
- with files from Kyle Darbyson
