Arizona transformer fire spurs WAPA emergency response, containment

A crew at Western Area Power Administration’s Desert Southwest region sprang into action during the early hours of Aug. 7. They responded to a 230-kilovolt transformer that had burst into flames after a lightning strike south of Maricopa, Arizona. 

At about 2:30 a.m., a KW4A transformer located at WAPA’s Test Track Substation was struck by lightning from a seasonal monsoon thunderstorm that rolled into the south Phoenix metro area. The substation was unmanned at the time, and no injuries were reported from the incident.

“Unfortunately, Mother Nature has a tendency to do things her way, and WAPA must be agile and responsive in the event of emergencies,” said Jack Murray, Senior Vice President and Desert Southwest Regional Manager. “I’m grateful there were no injuries resulting from this incident, and very proud of our teams who responded and worked tirelessly to get the situation under control.” 

Fire crews from the nearby Ak-Chin Indian Reservation responded to the incident. Due to the nature of battling electrical fires, local fire crews could not access a specialized solvent required to battle the blaze. Abel Betancourt, a transmission line and substation maintenance manager for WAPA’s DSW region, said craftsmen will remain on watch until the fire subsides. 

While DSW works to replace the damaged transformer, Betancourt says technicians work on temporary solutions such as stacking transformers through step voltage, which allows higher transmission voltages to transmit more energy at lower current flows. 

Murray said the training his teams receive to respond to incidents allowed for decisive action. 

“Power transmission is a key component to WAPA’s mission, and our crews constantly prepare for, and train, for all sorts of contingencies,” he said. “The response to this incident continues to show WAPA remains focused on keeping the lights on, no matter what.”