Victoria power grid collapses due to spot fires
{{date|January 16, 2007}}

{{Australian news}}

Large parts of [[w:Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] were hit with [[w:power outage|power outage]]s after bushfires near [[w:Benalla|Benalla]] knocked out power transmission lines connecting the state to the national [[w:Electricity distribution|electricity grid]] at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time. [[w:Melbourne|Melbourne]], [[W:Geelong|Geelong]], [[w:Ballarat|Ballarat]] and [[w:Bendigo|Bendigo]] were all affected. 

Paul Price from the national electricity grid supervisor [[w:NEMMCO|NEMMCO]] said that today set an all-time record for electricity demand.

Emma Daniell, from the power supplier [[w:Singapore Power|SP AusNet]] said the result of the fires "prompted an automatic load reduction system to kick in, reducing power supply to customers". These rolling [[w:Blackout|blackouts]] are occurring across the surrounding suburbs lasting one hour a time. 

The blackout affected about 200,000 homes, 1,200 [[w:traffic light|traffic lights]] and "mobile base stations".  [[w:Railways in Melbourne|Trains]] and [[:w:Trams in Melbourne|trams]] were reduced to a crawl, with buses replacing trains between [[w:Essendon railway station, Melbourne|Essendon]] and [[w:Kensington railway station, Melbourne|Kensington]] railway stations, and on the [[w:Werribee|Werribee]] loop. 

Geelong was the region worst affected, with the entire city losing power from 4 p.m.  Power was restored to the [[w:Central business district|central business district]] area shortly after 5 p.m., however many parts of the city were not restored until 8 p.m.

The [[w:Australian Open|Australian Open]] tennis tournament was not affected.

== Related news ==
*{{wikinews|title=Australia records hottest year on record|date=January 4, 2006}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1828051.htm
|title=Bushfires leave Victoria without power
|author=
|pub=ABC
|date=January 16, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21068807-661,00.html?from=news
|title=Fires cause massive power cut
|author=
|pub=Herald Sun
|date=January 16, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/01/16/944_news.html
|title=Power, fire chaos strikes region
|author=
|pub=Geelong Advertiser
|date=January 16, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/companies/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=comp&ArticleID=1518-1783_2055666
|title=Power outage cripples Melbourne
|author=
|pub=FIN24
|date=January 16, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21068268-2,00.html|title=Victoria blacked out by bushfires|author=Matthew Schulz|pub=news.com.au|date=January 16, 2007}}

{{published}}
{{archived}}

[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Fires]]
[[Category:Energy]]
[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Victoria, Australia]]
[[Category:John Vanndenberg (Wikinewsie)]]
[[Category:Trams]]
[[Category:Power outages]]
Large parts of Victoria were hit with power outages after bushfires near Benalla knocked out power transmission lines connecting the state to the national electricity grid at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time. Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo were all affected. 

Paul Price from the national electricity grid supervisor NEMMCO said that today set an all-time record for electricity demand.

Emma Daniell, from the power supplier SP AusNet said the result of the fires "prompted an automatic load reduction system to kick in, reducing power supply to customers". These rolling blackouts are occurring across the surrounding suburbs lasting one hour a time. 

The blackout affected about 200,000 homes, 1,200 traffic lights and "mobile base stations".  Trains and trams were reduced to a crawl, with buses replacing trains between Essendon and Kensington railway stations, and on the Werribee loop. 

Geelong was the region worst affected, with the entire city losing power from 4 p.m.  Power was restored to the central business district area shortly after 5 p.m., however many parts of the city were not restored until 8 p.m.

The Australian Open tennis tournament was not affected.
Disasters and accidents Fires Energy Australia Oceania Victoria, Australia John Vanndenberg (Wikinewsie) Trams Power outages