About that BIG Bang

Image

Image of Utility Fuse Courtesy of Eaton, a manufacturer of such devices

A quiet Sunday got very loud for some Franklin residents. At about12:16 pm, calls started coming into dispatch from residents in the area of Main St., Lincoln St., and Squire St., according to Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Barbieri.

“The callers reported what they thought was a loud explosion sound outside that came with a loss of power to the area,” he said. Barbieri said that Engine 1 was dispatched and found what appeared to be an “opened/popped relay or fuse on a pole on Orchard St.”

Fortunately, the power loss was localized to the area. Franklin Fire contacted National Grid and requested that they come to the area in order to make repairs and restore the power.

A spokesperson from National Grid explained that a line fuse was blown due to a suspected animal contact.

“Any significant problem on a power line, much like wiring within a home, can cause the fuse to blow,” according to the spokesperson. The big utility fuses are usually encased in porcelain or a polymer, according to the spokesperson. In this instance, an animal appeared to have climbed the pole and contacted the primary in the multi-wire system, causing a short circuit and ‘blowing’ the fuse.”

National Grid was able to replace the fuse and restore power by about 1 pm. [The process is well illustrated in a
short video
posted from British Columbia.]

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