After a construction accident damaged a power line, the attempt to make repairs caused smoking transformers and massive power outages at the University of Colorado today.
Twelve buildings on the Boulder campus were affected, and several were evacuated, including two residence halls where smoke was reported from elevator motors.
Firefighters responded to the Engineering Center complex just before 9 a.m. They found an overloaded transformer filling the aerospace and electrical engineering departments with smoke. The departments remained closed for the day.
Fire alarms also were sounded at Libby and Baker residence halls, and they were temporarily evacuated, along with Farrand Hall.
In Farrand Hall, the alarm was triggered by a buildup of steam in the dining room kitchen. Dining rooms in Libby and Farrand Hall were closed over lunchtime.
Alternate meal sites were offered to the 250 summer school students and 550 visitors attending conferences on campus, including a barbecue lunch on a lawn area between Farrand and Crosman halls.
CU officials were working on a backup plan for evening meals.
Aden, Brackett, Cockerell, Crosman, Reed, Cheyenne-Arapahoe, Willard and Hallett halls all experienced power failures. All the buildings are residence halls. Willard houses some administrative offices.
Power was restored to all buildings except the two engineering departments and Willard Hall by 2:30 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
Officials say construction workers hit a power line in the Leeds School of Business on Monday. When workers attempted to make repairs today, a power surge caused a small transformer fire in the engineering complex and knocked out power to the other buildings.
