CenterPoint station fire that knocked 75,000 off grid ruled accidental
By Mike Glenn
Updated 4:32 pm, Thursday, August 25, 2016
The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office has determined that a fire that broke out at a CenterPoint substation in the northwest part of the county on Tuesday was accidental
"After reviewing the security camera footage with CenterPoint Cooperate Security, we confirmed that no criminal or suspicious activity occurred prior to the fire," said Capt. Dean Hensley. "The cause of the fire at the CenterPoint substation is accidental."
The fire broke out about 5 p.m. Tuesday at the CenterPoint plant in the 12800 block of Grant Road near Kluge. About 75,000 customers were knocked off the power grid.
The fire sent thick clouds of smoke billowing through the area, resulting in a temporary shelter-in-place advisory for homes and schools in the area. The fire was extinguished by about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Late Tuesday, CenterPoint announced it had restored power to more than two-thirds of those who were left in the dark.
CenterPoint officials were asking customers who had power to conserve energy, such as setting their thermostats to 78 degrees, until repairs were done.
"We continue to ask customers in NW Harris Co to conserve energy to help prevent outages as we complete repairs from Tue's fire," the company tweeted.
There were no reports of any injuries.