![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4681672552_33dcfb7916.jpg)
I was in my house when I heard the first of two booms, and ran to the window to see what happened as I saw my neighbors (who had been gardening) looking towards the explosion with horrified faces. As I could only see their reactions from my vantage point I had no idea what happened and wondered if a plane had crashed.
My neighbors then screamed and immediately started running down the block in the opposite direction so I ran out to my porch to look in the direction they'd been looking when I heard the second boom and saw a 70-80 foot mushrooming fireball looming over my house. Just moments later I was hit by a wave of heat.
I was frozen, for a moment wondering when the fireball would stop growing, wondering if it was going to consume me.
As the flames burned off the thick, black column of smoke continued to rise I ran back into the house, grabbed my camera and headed towards the burning substation.
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4681040535_41c64f8c84.jpg)
Despite the raging fire, the growing heat and possibility of further explosions I moved closer to the substation and took photos from across the street until the heat became just too intense.
As I moved back, the smoke and particles triggered a localised rain of wet, black deposits (which I hope were carbon and not PCBs).
I ran back in to my house, washed off what I could and headed back out to continue photographing and to assess what might happen next.
Just then remembered that I had my cellphone and, after what felt like an eternity, forced my shaking hands to activate the video capture and shot this short video:
At first only a few people ventured outside...
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4681673240_9306b254f0.jpg)
...but eventually a flood of onlookers, fire trucks, and media filled our street as chaos reassembled into some sense of normalcy.
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4681041601_91b3b2ef90.jpg)
Neighbors were interviewed...
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4681674054_717e8c80ac.jpg)
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4681042441_c7be9ee262.jpg)
...and remnants of the substation rained down on lawns...
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4681041893_f69dfce74f.jpg)
...and on cars.
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4681040431_cf9e749621.jpg)
Power was eventually restored by about 1 AM, which I thought was amazingly quick, I assumed we'd be without power for at least a day. My hat is off to those Xcel workers who made that happen. I couldn't fall asleep so I headed back out to take some last photos of the event. Here, the substation continued to smolder into the night...
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4681831184_a6cee0606a.jpg)
...as workers continued the cleanup process.
![Xcel Power Substation Explosion](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4681830968_06bfe6a872.jpg)
Slideshow:
Story
9NEWS.com | Denver | Colorado's Online News Leader | Power outages possible as crews fix Xcel substation
2 comments:
These are great, you have captured the action. Good job, felt like I was there.
Wow Mike! What a rush after just getting home, huh?! Eric and I missed most of this, because we just got in Monday evening, unloaded, crashed, and headed to work Tuesday. Never turned the tv on! :) Great coverage though! Can't imagine being that close! Bet your heart starts punding when you hear a loud noise?!
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