‘It was spooky;’ Electrical substation fire lights up sky near Cincinnati

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A fire that started inside of a Duke Energy substation lit up the skies around Anderson Township Tuesday night.

Duke Energy said the incident, which happened at around 7:30 p.m., was a result of animal damage, according to our news partners at WCPO.

Anderson Township firefighters originally responded to the scene and said the area was unsafe to be near. The public was asked to stay clear of the area.

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Melanie Scheel, the owner of a hair salon that sits in the plaza directly next to the substation, said she was working on a client’s hair when the fire sparked, WCPO reported. She described it as a “throbbing” explosion.

“We could hear it before we could see it,” she told WCPO. “We looked out into the parking lot, and we could see just bright, flashing lights. It didn’t even look like a fire.”

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Scheel’s receptionist, Hallie Thibodeau, also described the experience and how an electric car belonging to one of the employees took on a life of its own, WCPO reported.

“The lights were just on,” she said. “It was completely powered off, but the headlights just turned on. It was spooky.”

Even residents outside of the area could spot a glow in the sky, according to WCPO.

More than 2,000 people were temporarily without power, but it has since been restored to nearby residents and businesses.

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