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Transformer fire causes explosion at Hoover Dam, no injuries reported

A screen grab of a tourist video shared on social media shows the explosion and fire at Hoover Dam on Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Adrienne Tiffany Herro
A screen grab of a tourist video shared on social media shows the explosion and fire at Hoover Dam on Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Federal officials say a transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire Tuesday morning. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the fire started at about 10 o’clock and was extinguished about 30 minutes later by the agency and the Hoover fire brigade.

Officials say no one was hurt and it didn’t impact the electricity flow to the 8 million people in Arizona, Nevada and California that rely on it.

Video footage taken by tourists and shared on social media shows an explosion and a plume of dark smoke rising from generating equipment at the dam.

The Bureau of Reclamation is investigating the cause of the fire and officials say they’ll provide updates when they’re available.

The Hoover Dam is situated where Lake Mead meets the Colorado River on the border of Arizona and Nevada.