Transmission line fault sparks small fire, extensive outage
EPHRATA – A fault on a high-voltage transmission line near the Ephrata Port District sparked a small brush fire and a far-reaching power outage that extended from Soap Lake to the east side of Quincy Wednesday evening.
The fault occurred due to an unspecified equipment failure with the transmission line, which feeds Grant PUD’s Columbia Ridge Substation about one-half mile west of the Ephrata Airport, said PUD information officer Chuck Allen.
The outage occurred around 6:20 p.m. and the PUD restored power within five minutes to all but 1,500 customers, said Allen. Crews were working to restore service to those customers, but it would likely be a gradual process that could take several hours, he said.
The arcing line ignited a brush fire that covered about 1 acre but was contained within 10 minutes after firefighters arrived on scene, said Ephrata fire chief Jeremy Burns. After the blaze was extinguished, a fire crew remained at the site to guard against any flare-ups due to hot, dry conditions, said Burns.
The power outage prompted a temporary break in Wednesday evening’s Ephrata City Council meeting. Council members, city staff, and audience members moved from the darkened council chambers out into the city hall foyer until the lights came back on about five minutes later. One audience member quipped that the city should start paying its electric bill to avoid similar disruptions in the future.
