Excavator hits power line at LRT construction site causing dramatic sparks
A fire at a Stage 2 LRT construction site in the west end caused some power to flicker Saturday morning.
Video shared to a local neighbourhood Facebook group shows a small, bright fire in the pit where construction on the western expansion of the Confederation Line is taking place near Byron and Woodroffe avenues.
Barbara Fogarty Ferguson described seeing multiple bright flashes of light from the scene.
"First, I saw a huge flash that lit up the entire apartment. I jumped up to look out the window and saw the fire," she told CTV News Ottawa. "I could hear the sizzle from having the patio door opened. The fire seemed to die down at times and then it would get very, very bright again, sometimes so bright that I wasn't able to look directly at it."
Jamie Robinson, the director of communications and stakeholder engagement for the contractor working on site, Kiewit-Eurovia-Vinci, said a worker hit a power line with an excavator at around 7:30 a.m., causing some dramatic sparking, but crews quickly got the situation under control. Power was briefly interrupted to one Hydro Ottawa customer on Robertson Road, he said.
Some residents in the area reported their lights flickering briefly Saturday morning, but there was no larger outage reported.
The Ottawa Fire Service said firefighters were called to the scene but did not have to put out a fire. Ottawa paramedics confirmed no one was injured.
The site is where the future New Orchard Station will be built on the western leg of the LRT, set to open in late 2026.
A similar incident took place last November, when a crane at the same construction site hit a power line, briefly knocking out power to nearby residents.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.