Substation Fire Near Marina Blvd. in San Leandro

[BigSteve02]

comment to RojBlake, the Firemen/Firewomen are not idiots, they are dousing that burning transformer with desalinated water (no grains of salt, no specks of dirt, no contaminants whatsoever) which is pure water, pure water does not conduct electricity (not even if the voltage is in KV or MV) so no Firemen/Firewomen will be burned to toast. they also could have used some sort of chemical foam (i do not know what it is called though) to put out that burning transformer.

[rojblake82]

@BigSteve02 The way I understand it the only types of Fire extinguisher that can safely put, out eletric fires are Dry Powder and Carbon Dioxide as they are not wet or liquid based.

[rojblake82]

If anyone is daft enough to be near, the burning substation transformers they will get burnt to toast.

[bordersoldier]

firemen oooh now we are all safe. get a T man out there for gods sake

[elrodjones]

So that idiot is spraying water?!

[Oldiesmann]

@elrodjones They're spraying water on the shed to keep the fire from spreading to it. Not an idiot at all.

[elrodjones]

@Oldiesmann And why are they not wearing respirators? That smoke is toxic! They should have had them on from the moment they got out of the truck. Not to mention chasing away the onlookers....

[0neofthem]

san leandro is a shit city cause its next to fucking oakland. a city that should be carpet bombed with all the minorities in it.

[Pirlinetor]

PolyChloroBiphenyls (PCB) are highly toxic and carcinogenic compounds, somewhat similar to dioxins; they were used together with mineral oil in transformers to raise its boiling point and to make it self-estinguishing in case of fire.

Nowadays trasformers may use only mineral oil as a dielectric cooling fluid.

[daewooparts]

piss on it :P

[MsSystemOperator]

Transformers are filled with mineral oil, NOT vegetable oil...gimme a break. There is still some equipment out there with PCBs, only because it's so old, but very little. The old equipment is replaced with non PCB oil when it fails, except capactors. Capacitors are unpredictable, so most utilities have been ordered to change them out. Obviously PCBS are a carcinogenic, but they are more toxic when they are burning.

[Crissyisnumberone]

oh we live near by on sausalito road we live in the same city where do you live and where did the haxeidint hapind

[VideyoJunkei]

you want a nasty smell? Try a TV set flyback transformer-when it goes bad, it arcs inside and smokes, and the smell hurts your eyes! Yes it does!

[daltonwilliam]

I smoked some PCB once.

[KG84C]

@daltonwilliam Was it like Chong smoking the cockroach?

[notbendable]

There's still some old PCB out there unfortunately. (though mostly <480v)

Bonneville Power Administration's web site describes use in old distribution line capacitors up until scheduled removal in 2007.

But no matter what, PCB or not... you don't want to breathe smoke from any burning electrical equipment!

;-)

[laurdy]

i think one of my radios has some pcb filled capacitors in it, there are little rubber stoppers on the side that say "this unit is fully sealed, do not remove these plugs unless absolutely necessary"

[helicoptered]

Yeah well, I hope the substation step down transformer at the end of your road explodes every every every day! day! Yeah and that you have survive on cheap low current electrical devises and nasty batteries..

[jeepin1021]

I thought transformers were filled with mineral oil? Is that why the smoke is so black?

[virtualk28]

You're right...most TX in the industry are now filled with mineral oil. In fact, PG&E in California is now using vegetable oil to insulate their substation transformers. But, ya...still black smoke

[jrmcferren]

@jeepin1021 Possibly, but the transformers have paper insulating the windings as well, combine that with other components. I'm not sure since the largest transformer I will likely service will still be air cooled (ham radio).

[MmmPie1997]

gah, go sniff of that smoke. phew, your dead

[NickGrowler]

Camera assistant just standing there without a mask sniffing the PCBs - sad

[amper0003]

Cmon, man, there's no PCB nowdays in the USA. Government prohibited substance.

You might find it in some remote corners, though.. I don't think this is the case

[rgbolster3]

there is still some PCB contained transformers out there on the lines.

[metallicaKSA]

@helpmakethingsbetter, Polychlororinated biphenyls.

Little bastarding problem in old equipment !

[vipleather]

One wiff of that smoke and your dead

[Bentworker]

Where was that? It does not look like the big PG&E sub on Washington in San Leandro Is that the one next to air liquide?

[brownbeararis]

i was there

it was on a sunday

[metabog]

Don't think it was a good idea to stand around, the smoke is toxic.

[hacker4400]

lol i remember seeing the smoke wen i was at school

[xzn88]

Lazy ass firefighters just standing around

[semnopithecus2]

i think it´s still on power, and the smoke is VERY toxic, huge transformers contains oil-PCB mixtures.

[jsncrso]

Fireman don't touch transformer fires, its way to dangerous. They wait until the power is turned off first.

[jrmcferren]

@jsncrso You're right, remember the voltages on the secondary (low voltage) side of these transformers will turn wood into a conductor, high voltage isn't child's play by a long shot.

[jrmcferren]

@xzn88 No, safe firefighters, if the power is on and they throw water on it, everyone including the camera man would be electrocuted.

[rojblake82]

@jrmcferren That is correct everyone would be electrocuted and burn ttottoast silly beggars if they threw water on the electric fire.