Sparwood fire department responded this afternoon to a call from Sparwood Post Office, where workers were concerned about seeing smoke rising from a recently installed smart meter.’
At 1:04 p.m. the Sparwood fire department got a call saying there was a fire on Aspen Drive, said Jim Jones, Sparwood fire chief.
“Cranbrook dispatch called us back a couple minutes later and said it has been updated to the post office on Aspen Drive,” said Jones.
However, despite early reports, Jones said there was no actual fire at the post office.
“When we got there the meter on the side of the post box was arcing and flashing. There was smoke coming out of the meter box,” said Jones. “We cordoned off the area, went inside and got everyone out of the building because if it had welded itself to the side of the building we didn’t know if parts of the building could be live.
“We had to wait until BC Hydro got there. BC Hydro came and confirmed that the power is off to the service and building. In the meantime we have used heat detectors and kept a check on the wall temperatures because if there was a fire it would have increased in temperature,” said Jones. The smart meter had been installed this morning.
There were no reported injuries.
