Downtown explosion at substation ruled accidental

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Friday, July 23, 2010 | 4:10 p.m.

Fire investigators have determined that the July 11 explosion at a downtown NV Energy substation was accidental in nature.

The explosion, which ignited a fire and injured two people, wasn't an intentional act of any kind, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said Friday, although the specific cause of the fire is unknown.

Investigators have finished gathering information on-site, but officials are waiting for results from samples taken for a lab analysis. An analysis of the samples could take a few more weeks, Szymanski said.

The fire department received a call at 6:36 a.m. July 11 about an explosion at what witnesses thought was a vacant building at 1004 S. Main. The building is actually a substation of NV Energy surrounded by brick walls to disguise the transformers in the arts district.

Two people on the street at the time of the explosion were taken to University Medical Center suffering from shrapnel wounds and smoke inhalation. Their injuries weren't life-threatening.

Flying bricks and shrapnel from the explosion broke windows and caused other damage to nearby buildings.

Fire crews saw fire coming from the building when they arrived but were unable to extinguish the blaze until power was shut off due to the high voltage, Szymanski said. The power eventually was shut off and the fire was put out by 8:15 a.m.

The explosion and subsequent fire was one of three incidents that Sunday.

Shortly after the fire was out, firefighters discovered a gas leak near the explosion at Coolidge Avenue and First Street coming from beneath the street. Southwest Gas turned the gas off in that vicinity as well, and the gas leak was stopped by 8:45 a.m.

That evening, a fire broke out at the nearby Opportunity Village Thrift Store, destroying about 35 percent of the 19,000-square-foot building.

All three incidents remain under investigation, Szymanski said Friday.