Update (1430ET): The US Bureau of Reclamation issued a statement clarifying that there was 'no risk to the power grid or to power output' at the Hoover Dam and confirmed that electrical equipment had caught fire and was now extinguished.
At approx. 10 a.m. PDT, the A5 transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire & was extinguished by @usbr/Hoover fire brigade at approx. 10:30am PDT. There are no injuries to visitors/employees. There is no risk to the power grid. Power is still being generated from the powerhouse. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/SYbXZHcZhA
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr)
We are investigating the cause of the fire & will provide additional updates as they are available. 2/2
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr)
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Update (1415ET): The explosion has been confirmed as occurring in a transformer. The fire is out and no one was injured.
A source confirms a transformer exploded at Hoover Dam, sparking a fire, which is now out. No one hurt. https://t.co/yvGCib8har
— David Charns (@davidcharns)
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Shortly after 10am local time, a small explosion and fire was seen at the lower part of the 726 foot high Hoover Dam in Nevada.
As one visitor exclaimed "something has just blown up" as she recorded the incident...
touring the #hooverdam and heard an explosion #fire pic.twitter.com/1tjWuNWBaZ
— Kristy Hairston (@kristynashville)
A different angle...
❌❌❌HOOVER DAM EXPLODING❌❌❌
— ❌ ❌ (@SimplyBreaking)
↘️ Large explosion and fire reported at #HooverDam
↘️ Fire appears to be at the generators/turbines
❌⚠️❌Developing Story! Follow @SimplyBreaking for
more#news #breaking #breakingnews#nevada pic.twitter.com/E6ltZRaszw
Emergency services are on the scene.
Boulder City Fire Department is en route to an emergency call at Hoover Dam. No further information is available at this time.
— CityofBoulderCityNV (@BoulderCityNev)
The Hoover Dam lies at the end of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States - which is currently at record extreme low depths.
Most significantly, the dam's generators provide power for various utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California.
There is no indication of any structural issues, or impacts on the grid so far.
For now, Vladimir Putin, or Russian hackers, have not been blamed for the incident.
Developing...