SOUTH DENNIS – On Sunday afternoon shortly before 6 p.m. the Dennis Police Department fielded reports of an electrical explosion and fire at the intersection of Route 134 and Theophilis Smith Road.
The Dennis Fire Department was dispatched to the scene. The first arriving unit confirmed that a downed primary line was sparking and flaming in a grassy area between Theophilis Smith Road and the Mobil gasoline station on the south side of the street.
A loud electrical hum pervaded the area and smoke and flames shot up from the downed power line. In more than one instance, the smoke and flames died down and the hum seemed to disappear. But moments later both returned with a vengeance.
A torrential downpour passing through the area seemed to have some mitigating effect on the fire but only temporarily.
Around 6:34 p.m. an Eversource truck arrived on scene and power was cut remotely to the downed primary line. Even with power to the downed primary cut, the adjacent businesses appeared to be energized and the traffic signals at the intersection were functioning normally.
After the Eversource worker inspected the scene, Dennis firefighters soaked down the area that had been ablaze revealing a burn pattern shaped like a question mark. As a firefighter raked through the area most affected by the electrical current, one could see that the sand in the soil had been turned to glass.
If you ever doubted the deadly nature of an energized electrical primary line carrying 26,000 volts let the video below dispel your doubts.
Story, video and photo by Kevin Morley/CWN
It took 35 minutes for Eversource to arrive and cut the power????..