Hydro pole fire causes daylong power outage near Shakespeare

Local hydro crews work at the corner of Highway 7/8 and Perth Road 106 on Friday morning after a hydro pole caught fire near Shakespeare. There was no damage beyond the hydro pole, wires and wooden cross members attached to the structure. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Motorists travelling east of Shakespeare early Friday morning were met with an unusual sight – the top of a roadside hydro pole engulfed in flames.

Members of the Perth East Fire Department in Shakespeare responded quickly and reported the fire was contained to the pole and attached hydro wires, with no additional property damage.

Hydro crews were also on scene shortly after the fire was reported, assessing the damage and beginning what would become a daylong repair effort. It appeared a malfunctioning insulator or similar issue may have caused two hot wires to come into contact, igniting the pole.

As a precaution, the OPP closed Highway 7/8 for much of the day while Ontario Hydro crews replaced the damaged pole with a longer one and restrung the high-tension wires.

Homes and farms in and around Shakespeare were without electricity for most of the day, but power was restored before nightfall.