Fire at dam shuts down two turbines

EPHRATA — A fire Sunday at Wanapum Dam forced operators to shut down two turbines and generators, but power generation continued for Grant County and the region, the Grant County Public Utility District announced Monday.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the flames remains under investigation, district officials said. Damage estimates are not available yet.

The district has been in contact with its insurance company to determine whether repair costs will be covered.

Operators first reported smoke inside the dam's powerhouse around 6:20 a.m. Two employees were operating the dam at the time.

Emergency crews from Grant County Fire District No. 8 in Mattawa and Grant County Fire District No. 10 in Royal City responded and searched for fire in the smoke-filled powerhouse, said Gary Garnant, district public affairs officer.

He said both fire districts work closely with the utility and are familiar with the dam's structures.

The powerhouse, a concrete structure 1,000 feet in length and 70 feet wide, contains 10 turbine-generator units and several floors of associated equipment.

Firefighters located the source of smoke within burning crates and packing materials in a corner of the main powerhouse floor, Garnant said.

The two closest turbines and generators to the fire were shut down. Operators plan to return one turbine and generator to service today, Garnant said. District crews continue to inspect the other, which was closest to the fire, and it will remain shut down until any necessary repairs are completed.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly once it was located, but remained on scene throughout the day to assist with smoke removal and cleanup.

The dam, situated along the Columbia River about five miles south of Interstate 90 and Vantage, continued to operate the eight remaining turbines and generators Sunday and Monday. Power generation was slightly reduced, Garnant said.

As of today, PUD crews continued cleaning up smoke, soot and water.

Garnant said the district's other dam, Priest Rapids, suffered fire damage three or four years ago. That fire involved a transformer on the outside deck of Priest Rapids Dam, he said.

Additional information will be made available at next Tuesday's Board of Commissioners meeting, he said.