A fire has torn through the Tungatinah Power Station in Tasmania’s Central Highlands, causing significant damage to a key part of the state’s hydro network.
The blaze left the main building in the early stages of collapse, with crews still working to make the site safe before the full damage can be assessed.
Hydro Tasmania chief executive Rachel Watson said the station was operating when the fire broke out. No one was on site and no one was hurt.
“We know very little about why this started or how this started or what the extent of the damage is,” she said.
Watson said the station was remotely operated and normally ran without anyone there, particularly overnight.
Tasmania Fire Service deputy chief Matt Lowe praised the volunteer crews who tackled the blaze, calling it a difficult and complex job with a lot of safety issues.
The service received a Triple-Zero (000) call around 8:50pm on Wednesday, with crews arriving about 27 minutes later.
Lowe said the call came from a 24-hour monitored Hydro employee and a passer-by also rang Triple-Zero (000).
At the height of the incident, 25 crews and about 45 people from the fire service and State Emergency Service were on scene.
Aerial appliances and drone capability were brought in from Launceston and Hobart.
Lowe said the building was fully involved in fire and starting to collapse when crews arrived, which made it unsafe to go inside.
Crews would not enter until they had confirmation the power was disconnected, given the amount of electrical infrastructure on site.
He said it was a significant structure that “would challenge even a big brigade in the big urban areas”.
Lowe said crews also worked with Hydro and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to contain water runoff from the firefighting to avoid contaminated water.
Lowe said the 27-minute response time was excellent given how thinly crews were spread across the region.
A preliminary cause is expected to be identified as early as this afternoon.
Watson said there had been no load shedding and no customers, including major industrial users, had been affected.
“[We have] absolutely no concerns about the security of supply or the stability of the system in Tasmania,” she said.
Hydro is bringing the Tamar Valley Power Station back online to help cover the gap and Watson expected it back by the end of the week.
She said the gas needed to run it had already been secured for winter.
Tungatinah runs at a bit over 140 megawatts at full capacity and supplies just under 5% of the state’s power.
Watson described it as a mid-sized station in Hydro’s fleet of 30.
The building dates back to 1953 and is a corrugated iron clad steel frame structure.
Watson said Hydro carried insurance on all its power stations and would draw on it if needed. It was too early to estimate the cost of repairs or a rebuild.
The cause remains unknown. A fire scene examiner is working with detectives and forensics to determine the cause.
The Lyell Highway remains closed between Fourteen Mile Road and Victoria Valley Road.
Police say residents will still be allowed to access Bradys Lake.
