Hoover Dam explosion – live: Fire at iconic Nevada hydropower plant after blast
A fire and explosion rocked Nevada’s iconic Hoover Dam on Tuesday morning.
Bystander Kristy Hairston tweeted a video at 1.11pm, saying that she was “touring the Hoover Dam” when she “heard an explosion”.
“My goodness, something has just blown up,” a witness can be heard saying in the video.
Boulder City, Nevada, officials said the fire at the dam has been extinguished.
The US Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the dam, said on Tuesday a transformer caught on fire, but that fire crews were able to put out the blaze without incident.
No one was injured in the blast, according to the agency, and the power grid is still functioning.
The iconic dam, completed in 1935, provides hydropower serving up to 1.3m people across Nevada, Arizona, and California.
Power grid still working after transformer fire at Hoover Dam: US Bureau of Reclamation
19:33 , Josh Marcus
The US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the federal infrastructure agency which oversees the Hoover Dam, has announced what caused the fire and explosion seen at the iconic hydropower station Tuesday morning.
“At approx. 10 a.m. PDT, the A5 transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire & was extinguished by [the USBR]/Hoover fire brigade at approx. 10:30am PDT. There are no injuries to visitors/employees. There is no risk to the power grid. Power is still being generated from the powerhouse,” the agency wrote in a statement on Twitter.
“We are investigating the cause of the fire & will provide additional updates as they are available,” it added.
At approx. 10 a.m. PDT, the A5 transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire & was extinguished by @usbr/Hoover fire brigade at approx. 10:30am PDT. There are no injuries to visitors/employees. There is no risk to the power grid. Power is still being generated from the powerhouse. 1/2🧵 pic.twitter.com/SYbXZHcZhA
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr) July 19, 2022
WATCH: Video captures fire at Hoover Dam
19:20 , Josh Marcus
“We’re going to be leaving now,” a bystander says, alarmed.
And you can’t blame him.
Twitter user Kristy Hairston recorded video of a fire and explosion breaking out at the Hoover Dam in Nevada on Tuesday morning, capturing the shock and awe from onlookers touring the iconic hydropower station.
Here’s the full clip.
touring the #hooverdam and heard an explosion #fire pic.twitter.com/1tjWuNWBaZ
— Kristy Hairston (@kristynashville) July 19, 2022
Explosion and fire reported at Nevada’s Hoover Dam
19:14 , Josh Marcus
An explosion and a fire have been reported at the Hoover Dam in Nevada.
“Boulder City Fire Department is en route to an emergency call at Hoover Dam. No further information is available at this time,” the city of Boulder tweeted at 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Kristy Hairston tweeted a video at 1.11pm, saying that she was “touring the Hoover Dam” when she “heard an explosion”.
The circumstances of the explosion remain unclear. Closer to 2pm on Tuesday, Boulder City tweeted that “the fire was extinguished before Boulder City Fire Department arrived on scene”.
Gustaf Kilander has the full report.
Explosion and fire reported at Nevada’s Hoover Dam
Smoke rises from the Hoover Dam
19:13 , Josh Marcus
An unexplained fire and explosion struck the Hoover Dam on Tuesday morning.
The Independent will be reporting live on this mysterious incident. Stay tuned.
