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A video of a large explosion at Hoover Dam went viral after it was shared by Twitter user Kristy Hairston just minutes following the incident on Tuesday, July 19.
In the short clip, a huge plume of smoke can be seen emerging from a transformer at the dam's facility, which is based along the Colorado River.
After receiving an emergency call from the authorities of the dam, firefighters from Boulder City rushed to the affected area. However, by the time they arrived, the flames had already been extinguished, authorities informed via Twitter on the same day.
Officials are still investigating as to what caused the fire explosion at the dam.
Officials say the Hoover Dam explosion has no casualities, was isolated
As per news outlet Fox 5 Vegas, Regional Director Jacklynn L. Gould from the Bureau of Reclamation stated that the A5 transformer of the Hoover Dam caught fire at around 10 am for unknown reasons. The blaze was put out successfully half-an-hour later, at 10:30 am.
He also added that neither employees nor visitors at the facility were injured, and confirmed that electricity was still being generated from the powerhouse.
While talking about the incident, Deputy Public Affairs Specialist Doug Hendrix suggested that "a piece of equipment" from the machine must have turned faulty. He further stated:
“Certainly on the transformer side of the power plant, you have little more static electricity, and power moving, so you have the potential sometimes for static or warmer temperatures in that part of the equipment. But we have a lot of fire suppression equipment and redundant capability to put that out very quickly.”
As per the National Park site, the Hoover Dam attracts over 7 million tourists every year and is one of the most popular dam sites in the world. Hendrix added that the fire "was very isolated" from the main area and the employees working down there were quick to react to the situation. He also expressed relief at the fact that there were no injuries sustained by anyone.
The Hoover Dam stretches for about 30 miles and generates around 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power. The bureau reports that the electricity produced is used by the citizens of California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Completed in 1936, the Hoover Dam is a source of fresh water for around 20 million people and farmers. It also forms America's largest constructed water reservoir, Lake Mead.
After the explosion on July 19, the dam stayed open for travelers and tourists.
As of now, no other details regarding the explosion have been made public by the authorities.
