The cause for a small brushfire that occurred Tuesday afternoon next to the train tracks running parallel to Ash Street in Centralia has been determined to be a worn-down “jumper” and “hot tap” connection.
When the connection failed, the live powerline fell to the ground, ignited the fire and knocked power out in Centralia for an estimated 500 residents.
“The spot in the wire where they connected had become worn over the years and it chose to let go and drop the wire,” Centralia City Light General Manager M.L. Norton said in an email.
Power was lost at 1:22 p.m. and restored by 3:43 p.m., exact times were provided by Centralia City Light’s system control and data acquisition program.
No injuries were reported from the fire itself but several homes on Ash Street reported property damage. Riverside Fire Authority responded and extinguished the fire once power to the live wire had been turned off.
