Explosion and fire reported by tourists visiting Hoover Dam in Nevada
An apparent explosion caught on video by alarmed tourists at Hoover Dam sparked a fire, but it was quickly extinguished and didn’t halt operations, authorities reported.
A transformer caught fire at the dam at 10 a.m. local time Tuesday, July 19, Hoover Dam reported on Facebook. Dam firefighters extinguished the blaze about 30 minutes later. No injuries were reported.
“There is no risk to the power grid and power is still being generated from the powerhouse,” the dam reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Videos posted to Twitter and Facebook by visitors show a thick plume of black smoke rising from the base of the 726-foot-high landmark in Nevada.
“Boulder City Fire Department is en route to an emergency call at Hoover Dam,” Boulder City officials reported on Twitter. No further information was available.
In another update a few minutes later, city officials said the fire had been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived.
Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression. In 1931, thousands of men worked to build the dam, according to the National Park Service.
The dam was built to help regulate flooding on the Colorado River. It’s also a massive source of electrical power in California, Nevada and Arizona.
Hoover Dam is the “most-visited dam in the world,” according to the National Park Service. More than 7 million tourists visit the dam each year.
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Explosion and fire reported by tourists visiting Hoover Dam in Nevada."