Naples Park power line falls, fuse explodes

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NAPLES, Fla.- A loud boom shook Naples Park after a live power line broke and caused a fuse to explode.

Scotty Charleston was working on a waterline nearby when he heard “Boom and everything was shaking, I could see the windows [shaking].”

Eddy Irizarry and his crew were working on a construction project just a few feet away. “We heard the explosion, a big pop, then we saw the fire. The line dropped and we saw sparks go on the tree,” said Irizarry. “I told everyone to back away from the tree line.

FPL says the line was a live one off the top of the utility pole; it has 13,000 volts flowing through it.

“If anyone was standing in that tree line over there when that went down, we would of been electrocuted,” said Irizarry about his crew.

The North Collier Fire Department showed up, but they didn’t pick up hoses or put the flames out.

“We don’t go near the fire because of the power lines,” said Carolyn Rambosk, a Community Outreach Specialist with the North Collier Fire Department. “We were monitoring the fire the whole time.”

North Collier Fire called FPL who arrived on scene just over 20 minutes later. FPL says a line popped out and caused a fuse to explode. The line fell onto the pepper hedge and caught fire.

“I heard a big explosion up yonder,” said Charleston. “I look over and there is fire everywhere, the lines were smoking.”

No one was hurt. FPL says the windy weather maybe to blame. The line and fuse were repaired and power was restored. Around 30 people were without power for seven hours.

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