Transformer bursts into flames at the Hoover Dam

By Jennifer Henderson, CNN

A fire broke out at the Hoover Dam on Tuesday at about 10 a.m. local time when a transformer caught fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The fire was extinguished about 30 minutes later by the Reclamation/Hoover fire brigade, the bureau’s Regional Director Jacklynn L. Gould said in a statement. There were no injuries to employees or visitors, Gould said.

“There is no risk to the power grid and power is still being generated from the powerhouse,” Gould said. “We are investigating the cause of the fire and will provide additional updates as they are available.”

The Hoover Dam is located where Lake Mead meets the Colorado River on the border of Arizona and Nevada.

The massive dam, completed in 1935, rises 726.4 feet from the foundation rock to the roadway on top of the dam and generates enough hydroelectric power to serve 1.3 million people, according to its website.

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CNN’s Eric Levenson and Sara Smart contributed to this report.