Electric blues

By Melissa Meehan
HEALESVILLE was left in the dark on Wednesday after an electrical substation burst into flames.
Shops in the town’s main street were without power for more than three hours when the substation, located behind the Swinburne TAFE building, caught fire.
Fire-fighters could do nothing but stand back and watch as a series of small explosions spread the fire.
They were forced to wait until crews from the electricity company SP AusNet were able to ensure that power to and from the station had been cut off.
Once given the go-ahead, fire fighters extinguished the blaze within minutes.
Healesville CFA Captain Graeme Bates said that crews were forced to wait for the go ahead from the power company to ensure the safety of his crew.
“The reason we were forced to wait was 22 volts,” Capt Bates said.
“A substation feeds two ways, in and out and even though it wasn’t sending out electricity to the town, there could have been energy feeding into the transformer.”
He said fire fighters used foam to smother the flames.
“The transformer in the substation includes a large quantity of oil, which feeds the flames and caused a number of minor explosions from the box,” Capt Bates said.
“But we were able to keep it controlled, and people safe while we were waiting to be given the green light.”
SP AusNet said the fire had caused some disruption to power in the area.
In a statement the company said that AusNet crews responded immediately and were able to restore power for as many customers as possible within half an hour.
“Crews worked safely and efficiently to repair this key piece of electrical infrastructure and power for the majority of remaining customers by approximately 1pm,” the statement said.
A spokesperson for AusNet said the company was still investigating the cause of the fire.