It was a sight most of Michiana couldn't miss. Around 9:30 Friday morning the AEP Electric Twin Branch substation exploded near the intersection of Capital and Jefferson in Mishawaka.
Over 17,000 gallons of non-toxic mineral oil fueled the fire that sent a threatening cloud of smoke streaming across Michiana. Amazingly, no one lost power as a result of the explosion but for some the electricity did blink.
When the lights flickered, some people thought it was a momentary power outage but when they looked to the sky, they knew something was wrong.
Mishawaka Police Corporal Mike Thompson heard the initial explosion. He says, "I looked up and saw the smoke billowing and actually flames going up about 150-feet or so."
First to the scene
Thompson and his partner raced to the scene. "We were the first emergency workers to arrive. We got about maybe 150-200 feet away from the flames and at that time very intense and again, going about 150-feet plus up. There was no way you could get very close to it because of the intense heat."
Cpl. Thompson used a new police department digital camera to get some close-up pictures of the fire.
"I've been to a few fires before and this is definitely the hottest one. It was hot enough that the rigs that they have metal rigs were already starting to warp, and some of it was white-hot," says Thompson.
The towering cloud of smoke could be seen counties away and explosions could be heard nearly 2-hours after the fire began.
No one had to be evacuated or was injured in the explosion. The towering cloud of smoke could be seen counties away and explosions could be heard nearly 2-hours after the fire began.
No one had to be evacuated or was injured in the explosion.
The fire burned for about six hours. During that time multiple mini-explosions formed mushroom-like clouds.
Firefighters couldn't attack the fire for a few hours because of the fear of electric shock.
