BELCO heads said there were 10 pole fires sparked across the island caused by salt deposits mixing with rain water on overhead cables
Recent stormy weather sparked 10 utility pole fires across the island, with seven poles needing replacement .
BELCO said the fires were reported at Wingwood Way, Fractious Street, Patience Avenue, Ord Road, Texas Road and others.
They said repairing pole fires is a lengthy and complex task, requiring several crews to be on site.
At the height of last weekend’s storms, around 6,300 customers were without power – but a majority were restored by Tuesday.
Dr. Jeffrey Steynor, BELCO’s Director of Energy Transition and Business Development told us the utility is looking into sourcing more resistant equipment to prevent heavy salt deposits forming on overhead lines.
Managing Director of TD& R at BELCO, Shelly Leman said, “Our crews tended to several reports of sparking lines as well as several pole fires which caused resources to be diverted to these emergencies.
“I would like to say a big thank you to our teams once again for braving the elements to restore service to the island and to our customers for their patience throughout the restoration process.”
