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CAPTIONED BY THE
NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE
--WWW.NCICAP.ORG--
[CLOSED CAPTIONING SPONSORED BY
SLEEP TRAIN MATTRESS CENTERS,
YOUR TICKET TO A BETTER
NIGHT'S SLEEP!]
WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS OUT OF
MODESTO.
A FIRE AT
AN ERA GEISHA DISTRICT
SUBSTATION.
IT HAS BEEN BURNING SINCE JUST
AFTER 5:00 THIS MORNING.
-- A FIRE AT AN ERA GEISHA AND
DISTRICT -- IRRIGATION
DISTRICT
SUBSTATION.
IT HAS BEEN BURNING SINCE AFTER
5:00 THIS MORNING.
JOINING US LIVE ON THE PHONE IS
THE MODESTO FIRE CHIEF.
WHY BACK OFF RIGHT NOW?
WHAT IS GOING ON?
WE MADE AN INITIAL ATTACK ON
THE FIRE USING DRY CHEMICAL
EXTINGUISHERS BECAUSE THAT WAS
THE SAFEST AGENT TO USE.
BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF HEAT IN
THE CABINET AND OIL BURNING, WE
WERE NOT ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY
EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.
WE HAVE OPTED NOT TO USE WATER
FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS.
WATER AND ELECTRICITY DON'T MIX.
WATER AND OIL DON'T MIX.
THE RUNOFF POTENTIAL THAT IS
CREATED BY USING WATER TO
EXTINGUISH THE FIRE IS GOING TO
CREATE A LARGER ISSUE.
WE HAVE CONSULTED WITH THE MID
REPRESENTATIVES AND HAVE DECIDED
THAT THE SAFEST METHOD WOULD BE
TO ALLOW THE FIRE TO BURN ITSELF
OUT.
THAT IS THE MODESTO IRRIGAT
ION DISTRICT.
IT'S IT -- IS THAT A SEPARATE
STORAGE BUILDING OF SOME SORT?
IT IS A METAL
CABINET
CONTAINING A SERIES OF
CAPACITORS.
THEY ARE USED TO TO HELP
FLUCTUATE THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS
OF THE DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY.
IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM COOL, THEY
ARE FILLED WITH MINERAL OIL.
WHATEVER OCCURRED THAT CAUSED
THE EXPLOSION THIS MORNING,
WHATEVER FAILED, RUPTURES THE
TANKS AND ALLOWS THE OIL TO
BURN.
AS THE FIRE IS HOT AND CONTINUES
TO BURN, THE NEXT CONTAINER
STARTS TO CATCH ON FIRE.
CHIEF, YOU MENTIONED CONCERNS
YOU HAVE THERE.
YOU ARE ALSO NOT TURNING OFF THE
POWER.
WHAT IS YOUR CONCERN OVER THAT
END WITH THE OIL AND THE
TRANSFORMERS?
I THINK THE INTENTION OF THE
DISTRICT TO KEEP THE PLANT
ENERGIZED TO THE EXTENT THEY CAN
HAS TO DO WITH THEIR ABILITY TO
PRODUCE ELECTRICITY.
BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT
OF
ELECTRICITY THERE, IF YOU
INTRODUCE THE WATER, YOU CREATE
THE ELECTRICAL HAZARD THAT COULD
BE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL TO
FIREFIGHTERS.
LOOKING AT THE TOTALITY
OF THE
INCIDENT, THE DECISION WAS MADE
THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO LET IT
BURN OUT.
WE SEE SOME PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND THERE POSSIBLY WITH THE
IRRIGATION DISTRICT.
WHAT IS THEIR PLAN?
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE SCENE.
THEY WILL WATCH THE FIRE BURN
ITSELF OUT.
THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET A
HOLD OF US IF THEY NEED TO.
WE CAN BE HERE IN JUST A
MOMENT'S NOTICE.
ONCE THE FIRE IS OUT, THEY WILL
BEGIN THE CLEANUP PROCESS AND
THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THAT
EQUIPMENT.
CORRECTS WE SEE SOME STRUCK --
WE SEE SOME STRUCTURES OFF IN
THE DISTANCE, RESIDENTIAL
NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOMES.
WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS FOR
NEIGHBORING RESIDENTIAL AREAS
THERE?
ANY AIR QUALITY CONCERNS?
ARE YOU ADVISING PEOPLE TO STAY
INDOORS?
CERTAINLY, THE FIRE IS
PUTTING UP SOME SMOKE AND SMOKE
CAN IRRITATE FOLKS WHO ARE
SENSITIVE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE VERY CLOSE
TO IT AT ALL.
THE FORTUNATE THING IS THAT IT
IS DISSIPATING AS IT RISES.
WE WOULD URGE EVERYONE THAT IF
THEY HAVE A SENSITIVITY TO
REMAIN INDOORS.
IF THEY FIND THAT THAT IS NOT
SUFFICIENT, THEY SHOULD LEAVE
THE AREA FOR SUCH TIME AS THE
SMOKE IS CLEARING.
THANK YOU FOR CHATTING WITH
US.
ANY CONCERN ABOUT POWER OUTAGES?
I BELIEVE THAT THE WAY THE
SYSTEM IS GRADED, THAT EVEN IF
THE SYSTEM WENT DOWN, THAT A
POWER OUTAGE WOULD ONLY BE A
TEMPORARY PROBLEM UNTIL ANOTHER
PIECE OF THE SYSTEM COULD PICK
UP THE LOAD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE YOU TALKING TO US
THIS MORNING.
WE WANT TO HEAD UP TO ROB
STEWART UP IN LIVECOPTER3.
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
IT LOOKS A LITTLE LESS SMOKY.
IT DOES LOOK A LITTLE LESS
SMOKY.
IT DOES CONTINUE TO BURN.
230,000 VOLTS ARE CARRIED BY
THIS POWER PLANT.
AS YOU HEARD THE CHIEF
SAY, THEY
INITIALLY TRIED TO ATTACK THIS
WITH DRY CHEMICALS.
YOU CAPTURED THAT EARLIER,
DIDN'T YOU?
YES.
IT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE
SITUATIONS THAT FIREFIGHTERS
HAVE TO PLACE, THE SITUATIONS
THEY HAVE TO PUT THEMSELVES
INTO.
THIS IS THEM APPROACHING THE
FIRE WITH A COUPLE OF
EXTINGUISHERS.
YOU WILL
SEE THAT THEY PUT THE
CHEMICAL ON AND IT REACTED
VIOLENTLY TO THAT.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THEY BACKED
OFF.
BACK TO YOU.