BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — An explosion at the Hoover Dam has prompted an emergency response from a Nevada fire crew, authorities said Tuesday morning.
“We have a crew on the way where we have a report of a fire,” said Lisa LaPlant, a spokesperson for Boulder City.
Boulder City officials said on Twitter that the city fire department was heading toward the incident about 10:30 a.m. after video circulated on social media showing an explosion near the dam.
They later said the fire was extinguished before crews arrived.
“The fire was extinguished before Boulder City Fire Department arrived on scene,” city officials said in a social media post.
A video of the explosion shows a dark cloud of smoke and flames rising from the bottom of the dam. A voice can be heard saying, “My goodness, something has just blown up.”
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear and the Bureau of Reclamation is investigating the incident.
The Hoover Dam stores water from Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country by volume when full. The dam’s generators help power public and private utility companies across Nevada, Arizona and California.
This summer’s worsening drought has seen Lake Mead drop to significantly low water levels.
ORIGINAL STORY
BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — Police in Boulder City, Nevada say they are headed to the Hoover Dam after reports of an explosion Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed what appeared to be a fire or explosion in a building near the base of the dam.
A huge plume of black smoke swirled above the building.
The city of Boulder City posted on its Twitter account that the fire was extinguished before the fire department arrived. It referred additional questions to the Bureau of Reclamation and Hoover Dam.
Calls to the bureau and to police at the dam seeking additional information were not immediately returned.
