BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — A problem in the underground electrical system in downtown Bluefield Wednesday morning caused a series of explosions and heavy smoke.
Appalachian Power Company spokesman Phil Moye said the system experienced a fault and safety measured kicked in.
“We had a fault condition that our system sensed and that’s what caused the outage,” Moye said.
The Bluefield Fire Department was dispatched to Bland Street after a report of an explosion and smoke coming out of a manhole. Soon after their arrival, firemen reported two more underground explosions.
“That’s alarming if you see smoke coming out of a vault but it’s something we’re on top of,” Moye said.
There was no immediate word on what caused the original fault. Moye said Appalachian Power crews were waiting for water to be pumped out of the vault so they could take a closer look.
“It’s a very reliable system but when we do have a problem with it sometimes it’s just difficult to access,” Moye said.
There were no injuries reported.