CLARK COUNTY, Nev. — A transformer fire caused an apparent explosion reported Tuesday morning at the Hoover Dam, officials said.
The fire started at about 10 a.m. and was extinguished about 30 minutes later, officials with the Bureau of Reclamation said. No injuries were reported and there was no risk to the power grid, according to officials.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire. Authorities are investigating.
We are investigating the cause of the fire & will provide additional updates as they are available. 2/2🧵
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr) July 19, 2022
Video shared on social media showed the apparent explosion.
touring the #hooverdam and heard an explosion #fire pic.twitter.com/1tjWuNWBaZ
— Kristy Hairston (@kristynashville) July 19, 2022
The incident happened near the Arizona turbine house, according to KLAS-TV. Officials told KTNV-TV that an apparent equipment failure inside a transformer unit caused the fire.
The Hoover Dam sits on the Colorado River and generates about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power to Nevada, Arizona and California each year, according to officials. The Hoover Powerplant is one of the country’s largest hydroelectric installations.
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