More investigations needed into Toodyay fire

7/02/07
Energy Minister Francis Logan today confirmed that Western Power had launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the weekend fire at Toodyay.
This followed the release of an Energy Saftey report which found that clashing conductors on a Western Power high-voltage power-line caused the fire.
"It is important we try to discover why these conductors clashed," Mr Logan said.
"There is nothing in the report that suggests the power-line was faulty, in need of an upgrade or poorly installed.
"In fact, the report indicates the power-line was built to accepted standards, with enough separation between the conductors to avoid a clash.
"And yet a clash occurred.
"It may have been caused by a freak set of circumstances with the strong winds, hot temperatures and high power consumption.
"But if the cause relates to the construction, engineering or maintenance of the power-line, we need to identify this fault and take any necessary action to reduce the risk.
"For this reason, I have asked Western Power to make sure their investigation is as thorough and prompt as possible."
Minister's office - 9222 8950