Transformer explosion spills oil in Boardman

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Drivers on Glenwood Drive and West Boulevard might have seen an unusual sight Thursday after a transformer blew its top and spilled oil all over the road, according to a witness.

At 11 a.m. the transformer on top of a pole at the intersection apparently blew, causing the top to come off and land off to the side.

“I saw the top of the transformer over in the grass and [the transformer] was spilling oil from both ends,” said James D. Vaughn II of Youngstown.

Vaughn happened to be driving past the site on his way home and stopped to call police when he saw the oil pouring onto Glenwood.

“It wasn’t on fire, but it looked like there had been a small fire,” Vaughn said.

Boardman police, fire and the Mahoning County HazMat team responded to the spill. No one was injured.

A spokesman for First Energy said the transformer outage would have affected only one or two customers, and only for a few minutes while the transformer was replaced. The fire and oil spillage was due to equipment failure, he said. Cleanup and replacement of the transformer has been completed.