Arc Flash at Sawmill Causes Small Fire and Equipment Damage

Location: Prince George

Regulated industry sector: Electrical - Low voltage electrical system (30V to 1000V)

Incident overview

At a sawmill, an arc flash in the 27-inch barker's motor control bucket caused damage and a small dust fire. When the sawmill was restarted, a problem with the #2 merchandiser saw was found. Both machines shared the same power source. The voltage readings were abnormally high and worn insulation on a wire led to the arc flash and fire. This caused one phase to reach 700 volts instead of the usual 480 volts.