Dozens of Regina homes escape power box fires due to aluminium wiring
CBC News | Posted: August 29, 2017 4:31 PM | Last Updated: August 29, 2017
Nearly 10,000 power box inspections complete in 3 Regina neighbourhoods
More than 50 homes in Regina have faced blackouts due to power box malfunctions that caused damage but no fire.
On Tuesday, a SaskPower spokesperson said one of these incidents occurred in the Fairways West neighbourhood.
It was a newer home, and therefore had aluminium-wire service, which failed how it was intended to.That means when the ground shifted, the pulled, damaged wire melted out, causing an outage for the customer and minor damage inside the box.
If the house was older and had copper wire that overheated, a fire might have started.
Nine power meter boxes have caught on fire in Regina this summer. SaskPower blames the issue on the city's abnormally dry weather, which is leading to ground shifting.
The Crown corporation has inspected thousands of homes across the province.
It is also installing junction boxes in the process, which contain extra wiring to reduce the potential for meter fires. SaskPower crews are concentrating inspection efforts on older neighbourhoods that have copper-wire service.
By the end of the long weekend, nearly 10,000 inspections and repairs will have been completed in Regina's Uplands, Glencairn and Normanview neighbourhoods.
Homes in Albert Park and Parliament Place, where many issues have arisen, will be the next area for inspections.
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