ST. GEORGE — A major power outage reported Thursday morning affected cities in Overton, Nevada, including Mesquite, and has caused the area schools to be shut down. Officials advised that the outage could last all day, but power was restored quicker than expected as each community reported service restored between times of 1:20-1:45 p.m.
According to a news release issued Thursday morning by the Overton Power District No. 5, a fire affecting the 230KV transmission power line has caused a system-wide power outage that is affecting Mesquite, Bunkerville, Logandale, Moapa, and Overton, Nevada.
“The fire has been contained. However, a power pole has to be replaced. The repairs are complex as it is a high voltage transmission line,” the news release states, adding that residents should plan for a prolonged power outage of at least several hours.
According to a statement issued by the Mesquite Police Department, area schools will be closed Thursday.
“If you have students enrolled, you should have received a text message and email to inform you. Please refer to the email for more information,” the statement adds.
Sgt. Wyatt Oliver, public information officer for the Mesquite Police Department, said the city has issued an emergency directive and has set up an Emergency Operations Control at City Hall.
“We had traffic lights down earlier in the morning, but utilities have set up generators on all traffic lights except for Pioneer and Oasis, which now has temporary stop signs,” Oliver said. “All traffic lights are now blinking red. Before the generators were up, we had our volunteers working the intersections to direct the traffic until about noon.”
For those in need of power for oxygen tanks, the Overton Power District is offering the use of their buildings and Mesa View Hospital for plug-in machines, according to news releases from the district and Mesa View Hospital.
Police advise residents to plan for an outage that could last all day. In order to ensure food lasts as long as possible, residents should avoid opening the fridge and freezer, as each time the door is opened, cold air escapes. Police also provided this resource that outlines how long food will last under these circumstances.
“We want to remind everyone in a safe place and stay cool. Also, while on city roads, please use extra caution. Slow down and be courteous. We are all in this situation together, and no need to cause more problems by getting upset. Let’s all stay calm,” Oliver said.
Mendis Cooper, general manager of the Overton Power District No. 5, told St. George News that the fire was reported by the Moapa Valley Fire and Rescue in the Moapa and Glendale area.
At 1:20 a.m., they had a “blink” of an outage, which comprises a couple of minutes, he said. Then at approximately 3 a.m., the power went out until restored earlier this afternoon.
He said four power utility crews responded to the fire, including Lincoln County, Overton Power District No. 5 from Moapa Valley, Overton Power District No. 5 from Mesquite, and Dixie Power. The outage also includes Lincoln County (Panaca, Pioche, Alamo, Caliente), and Scenic, Arizona.
Investigation of the fire has been underway and continues.
“We checked with the weather stations and services, and there was no lightning in the area of the fire,” Cooper said. “We are looking at the most likely cause of the fire to be tracking.”
Tracking is when dust collects on the insulators during storms and gets muddy, which allows the electricity to creep over and ignite a fire.
“Usually, rain and water collection clears the insulators from dust collection, but we have not gotten enough rain to clear the dust collection and buildup off,” he said.
The top 10 feet of the pole was burned, he said. They are cutting that part off and replacing it. They also are moving a shield wire from the pole to the center wire and phase conductors to the repaired pole.
Cooper also thanked residents for their patience.
“We have several crews working around the clock to get the repairs done and power restored to all communities involved. We thank everyone for their patience. We will work continuously until the power is restored. There is no estimated time yet of services being restored, but we will notify through our social media and website when we have that figured out.”
Mesquite Mayor Al Litman added a statement during the afternoon.
“I am thankful for the power company workers for their hard work. We look forward to the redundant power line, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year, as it will help decrease incidents like this.”
Updated Aug. 11, Photos and details about the fire have been added.
Updated Aug. 11 @ 12:30 p.m. Photos and emergency response details have been added.
Updated Aug. 11 @ 4:30 p.m. Statements added and power restored time added.
Photo Gallery
A fire has caused a mass power outage in Mesquite, Nevada, and surrounding areas, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo courtesy Arthur Villezcas with Overton Power District, St. George News
A fire has caused a mass power outage in Mesquite, Nevada, and surrounding areas, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo courtesy Arthur Villezcas with Overton Power District, St. George News
A fire has caused a mass power outage in Mesquite, Nevada, and surrounding areas, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo courtesy Arthur Villezcas with Overton Power District, St. George News
A fire has caused a mass power outage in Mesquite, Nevada, and surrounding areas, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo courtesy Arthur Villezcas with Overton Power District, St. George News
A fire has caused a mass power outage in Mesquite, Nevada, and surrounding areas, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo courtesy Arthur Villezcas with Overton Power District, St. George News
A fire has caused a mass power outage in Mesquite, Nevada, and surrounding areas, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo courtesy Arthur Villezcas with Overton Power District, St. George News