Shunt reactor reported as cause of fire at Brunot Island substation

What happened

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported a fire at the Brunot Island substation and described a shunt reactor as the cause. The available source is a headline only. The date of the fire, the extent of damage, any power outage and the emergency response are not stated in the text provided.

Contributing factors

The headline identifies a shunt reactor as the cause. No other contributing factors are reported.

Lessons learned

1. Shunt reactors at substations can fail in a way that starts a fire, so operators should treat them as fire-risk equipment and keep isolation and access clear.
2. A headline does not establish the sequence, damage or any outage, so the record should be updated when a full account is available.
3. After a reactor fire, check neighbouring equipment before returning the substation to service.

Source

post-gazette.com