PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A failed transformer caught fire and exploded Wednesday at the Bonneville Power Administration substation in Troutdale.
The fire sparked before 12 p.m. near the 2700 block of Northwest Sundial Road. Surveillance footage and a video from an anonymous viewer show the moment the transformer exploded and the flames burning afterward. BPA said a station worker called 911 after seeing the flames.
ODOT cameras showed a large huge plume of black smoke filling the sky in the area.
Officials said the energy company will need to shut off electricity at the power station before firefighters can put out the blaze.
BPA told KOIN 6 News it has a crew at the scene. What caused the transformer to fail is currently unclear, and the extent of the damage has not been specified.
This is a developing story.
