Transformer fire at University of Hawaii at Manoa substation causes $1.5 million damage

On 19 April 2018, a transformer fire broke out at an electrical substation on Lower Campus Road at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, just outside the right field fence at Les Murakami Stadium. The Honolulu Fire Department responded at 6:47 p.m. Thick black smoke rose over Honolulu. The department later ruled the fire accidental and said a malfunction inside the transformer ignited the oil in the unit. Damage was estimated at $1.5 million. The precise failure mechanism and any wider effects on supply were not reported.

Investigators said a malfunction within the transformer ignited the oil inside it. No more specific cause was reported.

1. An internal malfunction in an oil-filled transformer can start a fire even when the event is later ruled accidental.
2. A substation fire beside a public campus can send smoke over a wide area, so neighbouring sites need a clear response plan.
3. Where an investigation names only a malfunction, operators should not treat one failure mode as established.

News report via Google News