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Transformer Fire at Meeden Distribution Station Continues Under Controlled Burn

Authorities are containing the blaze because large volumes of oil held in underground cells cannot be safely reached.

Overview

  • A fire began at TenneT’s Meeden distribution station on Saturday evening and has been burning since in transformer oil that is stored in cellars and hard to access.
  • Fire crews declared the transformer impossible to fully extinguish and are conducting a controlled burn while keeping the blaze contained to prevent spread.
  • Overnight and Monday morning firefighters moved closer to the source, carried out a foam bluspoging that reduced black smoke to lighter smoke, and said the fire remains active with nuisance possible through Tuesday or Wednesday.
  • TenneT shut the station as a precaution and rerouted power to avoid outages, and emergency services raised the response to GRIP 2 and deployed drones, reconnaissance teams and a blusrobot to protect nearby equipment.
  • Officials sent an NL-Alert, urged residents to keep windows and doors closed and turn off mechanical ventilation, found no harmful substances in hospital air checks, and advised washing or discarding soot-contaminated garden items.