A car that hit a 7,600 volt transformer in Broomfield last night caused an electrical short, which sparked an electrical fire and also ignited 150 gallons of mineral oil in the base of the transformer.
North Metro Fire Rescue said the accident occurred about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in a retail parking lot adjacent to 120th Avenue near Lamar Street.
No one was injured in the collision but the transformer was knocked off its base.
For slightly more than 30 minutes, fire crew from North Metro provided protection to nearby buildings while waiting for an Xcel Energy crew to cut power to the transformer, Wendy Forbes, fire department spokeswoman, said in a news release.
The oil in the base of the transformer insulates the wiring in the box.
Once the power was cut, the fire was quickly put out.
All the mineral oil was contained in the parking lot. An environmental cleanup company was then contacted to remove the oil.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
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