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Power pole fire causes morning outage in Pasco

Tri-City Herald
Using a fire hose borrowed from a Pasco fire truck, Franklin PUD workers Jim Zacha, left, and Darren Idler extinguish a smoldering utility pole on March 26, 2005, in front of 2120 W. Pearl St. A glass insulator on the double circuit pole broke down and caught fire and caused a power outage.
Using a fire hose borrowed from a Pasco fire truck, Franklin PUD workers Jim Zacha, left, and Darren Idler extinguish a smoldering utility pole on March 26, 2005, in front of 2120 W. Pearl St. A glass insulator on the double circuit pole broke down and caught fire and caused a power outage. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald File

At least 37 Pasco residents were without power early Monday morning after a utility pole caught fire.

Pasco fire crews responded about 12:30 a.m. near Ella Street and Road 30 to reports of a small fire in the area, said Dave Hare, assistant fire chief.

The fire started when a few dirty brackets on the power pole overheated, which is often referred to as “tracking,” said Debbie Bone-Harris, public affairs manager for the Franklin PUD.

The problem is most common when bolts are mounted directly on the power pole and don’t have a fiberglass arm, she said.

Franklin PUD crews had power restored about 6:30 a.m. No other property was damaged.

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Power pole fire causes morning outage in Pasco."

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