Mar 20 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Eileen Welsome The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo.



A substance that keeps roads clear of ice could be leaving thousands of residents at risk of being in the dark when electricity is knocked out.

Colorado Springs Utilities is investigating whether magnesium chloride, a de-icing liquid, might be the culprit behind recent utility-pole fires, including one March 8 that sent a power line onto Interstate 25, backing up rush hour traffic for miles and leaving the Air Force Academy without power for an hour.

It's the third pole fire near the North Gate Boulevard exit and Interstate 25 in the past two years.

Jerry Forte, Utilities CEO, told City Council members at a board meeting Wednesday that the utility has not positively pinpointed the cause of the March 8 pole fire. "What we're doing is an after-action investigation to confirm if there is an issue with magnesium chloride," he emphasized.

 Since January 1, the city-owned utility has experienced eight pole fires. Spokesperson Patrice Quintero said the poles fires typically occur in drizzly weather.

Passing vehicles can churn the magnesium chloride into a fine mist that rises and settles on the poles and insulators, Utilities officials theorize. As the solution builds up, it can cause electricity to arc across the insulator to other equipment on the poles.

Four of the eight pole fires have been this month. In addition to the March 8 pole fire, a second occurred March 14 about 3 p.m. at the Bradley substation near I-25 and South Academy Boulevard, which resulted in 1,270 customers losing power.

A third occurred that same day about 6 p.m. near Bijou and South 30th streets, and resulted in the loss of power to 1,647 customers. And a fourth occurred March 15 on Buchanan Street, between Cascade Avenue and Beacon Street, resulting in an outage to approximately 472 customers.

Other officials are skeptical magnesium chloride is causing the fires.

Stacey Stegman, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said the department has "no reason to believe" magnesium chloride is the cause of pole fires. Several years ago, she said, the department informally tested the theory by halting the use of mag chloride on a highway west of Denver. There were still issues with pole fires.

Tom Henley, a spokesman for Xcel Energy, which provides gas and electricity to Denver residents, is also skeptical of the link.

Henley said the investor-owned utility typically experiences pole fires during dry weather when dust covers the insulators. The dust is then pushed into the insulators during rainstorms and can cause electricity to arc and set a pole on fire.

El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams, in whose district the March 8 pole fire occurred and who has a keen interest in road issues, also has his doubts. "I would be surprised if magnesium chloride on a road went that far up and over and then caused a fire. I think there are probably other explanations more likely than that."

Quintero and other Utilities officials acknowledge that other factors can cause pole fires, including cracked and damaged insulators and lightning strikes.

Quintero emphasized that the utility is not asking the transportation department to stop using magnesium chloride on roads."We just want to better understand and know the cause, and use that information to improve how we manage poles in areas like I-25 from here on out."

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