Fire Ball rolls through on power lines in Canada

[buzzbar]

Moderator note: This video contains strong language. Be aware of your surroundings before clicking on it. ​

I know all of you will be interested in this video. Here's the youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M45Br7f0Ec

I guess it go so hot, that the people shooting the video had to get away from the window! Amazing, and scary.

 

[petersonra]

NSFW due to language.

 

[templdl]

NSFW due to language.

Yes, but in the 'heat' of the moment that language mat have been the first thing to come to mind.

 

[K8MHZ]

I wonder if the rash of solar flares we have been getting for the last couple weeks had anything to do with this.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Pretty Cool. I suspect it was just like a Jacob's Ladder, except instead of heat causing the plasma to rise, a slight breeze cause it to travel sideways down the line.

 

[K8MHZ]

I just read further and found out that this was right after a huge windstorm knocked out power in the area. Probably an HV line dropped on a line spaced for a much lower voltage.

 

[JoeTroubleShoot]

I just read further and found out that this was right after a huge windstorm knocked out power in the area. Probably an HV line dropped on a line spaced for a much lower voltage.

Seen that happen before. Two phases swinging then when they meet or get close an arc forms. Then as the phases swing again it doesn't break, the arc just moves down the line to where the resistance(Closest phase to phase) is least until it breaks or blows up. If a recloser or breaker doesn't see the required fault current or the re-set time is short, then this can go on until the phases burn down. Could take hours, but most likely a dispatcher or troubleman will shut it down instead of waiting for it to trip.

 

[junkhound]

the arc just moves down the line to where the resistance(Closest phase to phase) is least until it breaks or blows up

Actually, at high currents, it moves AWAY from the source due to loop magnetic forces. At low currents (mA, like a vertical Jacob's ladder) it follows air buoyant forces or, if horizontal, a breeze as Rick said. I'd say magnetic forces as it went toward the house.

 

[JoeTroubleShoot]

the arc just moves down the line to where the resistance(Closest phase to phase) is least until it breaks or blows up

Actually, at high currents, it moves AWAY from the source due to loop magnetic forces. At low currents (mA, like a vertical Jacob's ladder) it follows air buoyant forces or, if horizontal, a breeze as Rick said. I'd say magnetic forces as it went toward the house.

Gotcha. I don't recall which way the arc was moving in the two times that I saw it happen. Just know it was traveling from the middle of the section back to the pole until the air gap was big enough to break it.

 

[hbiss]

Yes, but in the 'heat' of the moment that language mat have been the first thing to come to mind.

More likely the idiot used that language because he was putting it on youtube and wanted to sound cool. Normal people would just say WOW look at that.

-Hal

 

[ATSman]

Seen that happen before. Two phases swinging then when they meet or get close an arc forms. Then as the phases swing again it doesn't break, the arc just moves down the line to where the resistance(Closest phase to phase) is least until it breaks or blows up. If a recloser or breaker doesn't see the required fault current or the re-set time is short, then this can go on until the phases burn down. Could take hours, but most likely a dispatcher or troubleman will shut it down instead of waiting for it to trip.

Yep, same thing happened out side the stadium the night the lights went out at Candlestick Park, SF couple yrs ago

 

[mark32]

More likely the idiot used that language because he was putting it on youtube and wanted to sound cool. Normal people would just say WOW look at that.

-Hal

Really? A ball of fire coming down your street only gets a "Wow look at that"

 

[mivey]

Really? A ball of fire coming down your street only gets a "Wow look at that"

Better than "Not again!"

 

[ggunn]

More likely the idiot used that language because he was putting it on youtube and wanted to sound cool. Normal people would just say WOW look at that.

-Hal

Apparently the requirement for being an idiot in your judgement is pretty broad. I guess I am an idiot as well because I probably would have expressed myself in a similar manner if I had been there when it happened.

 

[iwire]

Really? A ball of fire coming down your street only gets a "Wow look at that"

Better than "Not again!"

Apparently the requirement for being an idiot in your judgement is pretty broad. I guess I am an idiot as well because I probably would have expressed myself in a similar manner if I had been there when it happened.

Another idiot here, a big ball of noisy fire passing my house would get a stream of words I can't type here.

 

[iwire]

NSFW due to language.

Thanks for the heads up. I added a note about it in the opening post.

 

[junkhound]

wow

wow

hmm, would not most folks here see that type an arc and exclaim:

'hey, look there, the 13.9 Kv feeder on the street is arcing due to the Wilson's willow tree shorting it out, looks like about 2.8kA fault current, moving the arc down the line due to about a 7 Nt loop force due to a few gauss of field', or something like that ??


rather than " wholly ...."

 

[GoldDigger]

Another idiot here, a big ball of noisy fire passing my house would get a stream of words I can't type here.

Same here, but I might not post the unedited audio on the internet as part of my upload.