Power line fire and blown transformer recorded on police dashcam video
2019Published 6 Oct 2026
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What happened
An overnight ice storm caused a widespread power outage in Grand Haven, Michigan. Around 4:30 a.m. on 6 February 2019 a power line caught fire at Beacon Boulevard and Taylor Avenue; a transformer near the same intersection exploded. Both events were recorded on Grand Haven police dashcam video. Power was restored by about 7:30 a.m. and the fire was extinguished.
Contributing factors
Ice storm.
Lessons learned
- Ice accretion on overhead lines can lead to faults that ignite fires or damage transformers; rapid isolation after a fault reduces fire spread.
- Dashcam or other vehicle video can document the sequence of line and equipment failures.
- Recording the weather or other cause of each overhead-line fire helps target future inspections.
Source
Published 2026-10-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.