Little fire damage at Wanapum Dam

WANAPUM DAM - A small accidental fire reported at the control room powerhouse of Wanapum Dam damaged a welder and power cord.

The Feb. 21 fire was "fairly small" and traced to an extension cord connected to an arc welder, which was used the same night, according to Grant County PUD spokesperson Dorothy Harris and information from the Grant County Sheriff's Office. The fire was reported at 10:27 p.m.

The insulation on the extension cord was damaged and created more smoke than flames, she said this week.

The equipment belonged to a subcontractor working on the utility's turbine installation project. The equipment received less than $1,500 worth of damage.

Unit 10 of the dam was shut down as a precaution for about two hours. Power generation wasn't stopped, she said.

The power plant's operator found the smoke and put it out with a fire extinguisher, she said.

The area was vented and the PUD employees working at the time returned to the building around midnight. There wasn't any damage to the building.