A power transformer explosion rocked Palm Beach yesterday, leading to multiple fires and widespread disruptions, local authorities report. The blast, which occurred in Midtown Palm Beach, caused outages to traffic lights and started fires in homes on Chilean Avenue, prompting a swift response from emergency services. According to CBS12, the Palm Beach Police Department closed off the area around Chilean Ave. as the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department battled the flames.
The incident led to power, gas, and water being shut off in parts of the town as firefighters tackled the blaze at 145 and 150 Chilean Avenue, according to a spokesperson for the Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department, who also mentioned a downed power line and a generator explosion were reported to be the source of the fires, although it wasn't clear which event occurred first. In a statement obtained by Palm Beach Daily News, spokesperson Joe Sekula detailed how the fires caused significant damage to both properties including a water main break that led to water damage in one of the homes while crews had to cut into the roof of another to put out the blaze and prepare it for weather protection by covering it with a tarp.
Both homes impacted by the fires were addressed by 7:30 p.m. with the vacant home at 145 Chilean and the occupied residence at 150 Chilean having to be evacuated during the emergency, Sekula added, while also mentioning that repair crews from Florida Power & Light Co. are tasked with fixing the power line and West Palm Beach water crews are set to repair the broken water main. The disrupted services are to remain offline until officials could confirm the area is safe.
After hours of disruption, town officials confirmed that all roads were reopened by 8:38 p.m. and traffic was back to normal, providing much-needed relief to residents who had been ensnared by significant delays as emergency vehicles occupied County Road and S. Ocean Blvd. between Chilean and Worth Ave, traffic flow was restored with the removal of blockades and re-normalization of vehicular passage according to both sources.
