Cell tower fire

[kelley]

Don't know if this should go here or not, but mods feel free to move it.

This is a cell tower that caught fire. Word is a crew that was welding sparked the fire.

http://home.wickedlocal.com/2009/01/23/cell-tower-burns-collapses-along-rt-9-in-wellesley/

 

[nakulak]

that's one way to burn up the phone lines

 

[boboelectric]

There goes my roaming charges.

 

[480sparky]

Danged welders.

Almost as dangerous as electricians!

 

[Cow]

I just want to know how they caught a metal cell tower on fire?

(It was metal right?)

 

[dereckbc]

I am shocked. There is not much on th etowers that can burn, only the insulation on the coax waveguide. Not any power on a tower that size either other than RF and cell radios are only 20 watts.

 

[quogueelectric]

I am not buying that one for one second. Just for the record. Look at the fire origin locations.

 

[mxslick]

Bet it was a failure in a MWBC that started it.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Dereck,
Are the antennas fiberglass? That will burn like that once you get it going. Not sure how you get a number of them on fire at the same time and it is unlikely that a welding spark could ignite them, however incorrect welding procedures could result in the welding current running on the coax shields igniting them and spreading to the antennas.