Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Transformer blast sparks fires in Snohomish

Lightning strike gets blame instead of balloons

By Krista J. Kapralos
Herald Writer

 SNOHOMISH -- A series of small fires that fire officials first thought were caused by helium balloons entangled in power lines Monday morning actually might have been caused by a lightning strike on a transformer box.

The transformer box, owned by the Bonneville Power Administration, is near the 7700 block of 67th Avenue west of Snohomish. The problem began after 10 a.m., when lightning struck the box and sent a jolt of electricity down the power pole, BPA spokesman Scott Simms said. The area was drenched in rain at the time, which likely conducted the electricity from the pole to a nearby fence, he said.

Crews from Snohomish County Fire District 4 were called to the scene because the jolt traveled from the power pole to a metal fence, which was already electrified to protect private property, said Mike Gatterman, battalion chief of Snohomish Fire District 4.

The jolt caused a fence post to blow apart and hit a nearby house, he said.

Another fence post leaning up against a travel trailer ignited, causing a small blaze, he said.

Meanwhile, a woman who lived at the house tried to escape the situation by climbing over the electrified fence, Gatterman said. She received an electric shock, but wasn't seriously injured, and was treated and released at the scene, he said.

Fire crews who tried to get to the scene were stopped about a block away because of a car that drove into a ditch, Gatterman said. The minor car accident wasn't related to the power line problem, but it caused yet another headache for emergency crews, he said.

Damage to the house and to the travel trailer was minor, Gatterman said.

No one in the area lost power because of the incident; the BPA provides redundant power coverage in case of emergencies, Simms said.

A bouquet of Mylar balloons was found tangled in the power lines, and fire crews initially thought that had caused the electrical jolt, Gatterman said. Mylar conducts electricity and can cause electrical shorts when the balloons come in contact with power lines.

A separate incident involving Mylar balloons occurred about 2:30 a.m. Monday, said Neil Neroutsos, spokesman for the Snohomish County PUD. The balloons got tangled in a power line substation in Lynnwood, but PUD crews were able to remove the balloons by about 3 a.m., he said.

Summertime often brings extra problems for power lines and transformer boxes, Neroutsos said. Rodents and other critters frequently run into trouble when they climb power poles, and birds sometimes fly into power lines.

Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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