The cause of a fire that broke out at a NSW power plant has been revealed and is expected to burn for days.
A NSW power plant on fire in Wollongong could burn for two days, and residents have been warned to keep their doors and windows closed if they see or smell smoke.
Firefighters were called to the large fire at the Yallah substation near Albion Park on the south coast of the state at around 3.30pm on Saturday, following numerous calls to Triple 0 reporting large volumes of fire. smoke and explosions on the spot.
More than 60 firefighters and two mobile command centers battled the blaze, which was affecting high-voltage power lines.
FRNSW Chief Superintendent Michael Morris said Sunday morning that the fire at a Transgrid substation had been limited and was being controlled by crews.
Although the intensity of the fire had been significantly reduced, it was expected to burn for two days, he said.
“This morning we will determine the changes in our strategies to completely extinguish the fire and continue dealing with the thousands of gallons of transformer oil,” he told Nine’s Today.
“All the oil is inside the site. It’s burning as you can see behind us.”
Morris said crews were working with environmental authorities on contingency plans if the containment was breached.
The fire was caused by a mechanical failure of a redundant transformer.
About 100,000 gallons of oil were involved in the incident, which has since been confined to a contained area and poses no threat to the environment, said Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).
Hazardous materials firefighters remained at the scene on Sunday, monitoring the smoke column and the temperature of the impacted transformer and oil tanks.
The large column of smoke affected Wollongong and Unanderra on Saturday, delaying flights to and from Shellharbour Airport.
Residents were urged to stay indoors with windows and doors closed until air quality improved.
Morris said Sunday’s smoke had been reduced, but that if residents smelled or saw smoke they should continue to heed those recommendations.
“We anticipate that we will have a couple of days of operations here,” he said.
“Like all smoke, any smoke can be dangerous,” he said.
Shellharbour Airport has resumed normal operations.
FRNSW said it continued to work with Transgrid and the NSW Environmental Protection Authority to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of residents and the environment.