Just saw on the local news. They are reporting a power plant explosion in Davie Florida (about 5 miles from me :( sigh). They say 2 transformers exploded, and ignited 1000 gallons of "petrol" stored nearby. The video doesn't really look like a power plant, it looks more like a substation, or maybe an area of the plant outside the main building.

I'm by NO means implying this is y2k related, but I do agree with the opinion posted lately that there sure does seem to be a lot of this stuff lately

-- Online2Much (ready_for_y2k@mindspring.com), February 24, 1999

Answers

Geez, I can see the smoke from my front yard. Didn't hear anything, but I had music on until 6:00. They had additional coverage since the opening story, and they said it was a transformer at a switching station.....

-- Online2Much (ready_for_y2k@mindspring.com), February 24, 1999.

Online2Much, is your local TV station giving you ongoing news? Is it on their Web site yet? Hope you're OK. Tempting to go look-see, but if there's noxious fumes in the ash & smoke, maybe better to stay inside. Keep us updated, thanx!

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), February 24, 1999.

They got it pretty much put out once the foam trucks got there (from the nearby Ft. Lauderdale Airport). You could see the smoke turn white as it happened. I'll post a link to the Miami Herald or Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel tomorrow.

Yeah Leska, I was tempted to drive (or bike) over and check it out, but it's located in a fairly secluded area, and probably couldn't have gotten very close, and those pesky PCB's didn't thrill me either..lol

-- Online2Much (ready_for_y2k@mindspring.com), February 24, 1999.

Glad you're back Online ;-D
Always worry about possible hazmat complications ... taken to staying inside and watching helicopter footage; their zoom gets better view anyway.

Our Fire Dept training advises "Get only as close as you can see thru powerful binoculars," or
Stand with your arm outstretched and put thumb up, if your thumb doesn't cover it completely in your line of vision then you are too close.

Thumbs up!

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), February 24, 1999.

Confirm US$1.5 million Power Station Transformer fire Monday morning. Still steaming when I went past last night.

Reportedly the first such explosion since 1950s(?)

http://www.press.co.nz/08/99022428.htm

Note probable cause.. we will wait to see what the actual cause is in the official report and the subsequent enquiry. 'Currently' reported as an electrical fault (sic).

-- Bob Barbour (r.barbour@waikato.ac.nz), February 24, 1999.

Indirectly related .. heard on National Public Radio news this evening (Feb 24, 1999) .. The government of Argentina has levied a massive fine against the major power producer for the city of Buenos Aires. Seems they too experienced a major explosion at the power plant which put about 1/2 the city into the dark .. the story went on to report that there are still 100,000 homes without power .. eight days after the initial explosion and outage.

Another data point.

Dan

-- Dan (DanTCC@Yahoo.com), February 24, 1999.

I still enjoy the story about "our" FPL executives buying generators and having the power company employees installing them at their mansions!!!!

God I love this state. At least (with apologies to our northern friends) we only have to prepare for mild winter time conditions. But I hope for our sake the early warning system for hurricanes is repaired by summer of 2000, or it could be Galveston 1900 all over again...oh geez, did I forget to mention that without modern communications it's damned difficult to evacuate 5 million people from a coastal section of Florida if a Cat. 4 or 5 is on the way...with only 12-24 hours warning....hmmmm, another Y2K implication. BUT, don't worry, be happy! (Bill's boy is in charge of fixing the problem)

-- John Galt (jgaltfla@hotmail.com), February 24, 1999.

Dan,

This one from the 19th goes with yours. More data.

http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=64124

Friday, 19 February 1999 17:21 (GMT)

(UPI Spotlight) Protests due to lack of electricity BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Feb. 19 (UPI) - Some 1,000 residents of Buenos Aires took to the street (Friday) protesting a fifth day of a power outage officials say is affecting some 55,000 people. On Monday, a fire severed wires in a substation of Edesur, an electrical company, affecting some 500,000 people in seven of the city's neighborhoods, just in time for a heat wave during the Southern Hemisphere's summer.

Copyright 1999 by United Press International

-- Deborah (datadata@data.com), February 25, 1999.

Follow up - news stories about the fire/explosion

Miami Herald

Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

-- Online2Much (ready_for_y2k@mindspring.com), February 25, 1999.