Small blaze the result of exploding transformers

A blown transformer resulted in a power surge and small fire at Chem-Rx on Park Place on Wednesday night. The Long Beach Fire Department responded to a 911 call from an employee of the pharmacy who observed smoke in the building.

Long Beach Fire Chief Rich Corbett said that two external transformers on power lines in the city exploded simultaneously, just after 7 p.m., and that this most likely caused an internal transformer at nearby Chem-Rx to overheat as well. One of the external transformers was on the unit block of East Pine Street and the other was in the west home area, Corbett said.

The initial cause of the power surge is unknown. “Transformers can blow at any time, for multiple reasons,” Corbett observed.

The LBFD also received three EMS calls around the same time, which the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department assisted with. Corbett said that all this activity occurred between 7 and 7:45 p.m., and that the fire at Chem-Rx took only about 15 minutes to battle.