The cause of last Friday’s fire at ASPA’s micro grid power plant in Ofu is not known at this time.
Acting Director of ASPA, Wallon Young suspects that a burned transformer may be the source.
He said the storage battery in the building is the salt water type which is not flammable, so the battery is not a likely cause of the fire.
Young says ASPA plans to install an outdoor storage battery housed in a container at the Ofu plant. And they hope to get it up and running by next month.
In the meantime, ASPA is putting in an insurance claim for the damaged battery that was burned in the fire.
Ofu and Olosega are now back to full reliance on diesel power. Manu’a lawmaker Rep Tiaoalii Sai said according to ASPA’s Manager in Ofu, there’s just a week’s supply of fuel left on Ofu.
Acting ASPA Director Young says a new shipment should be on its way to Ofu this week.
He said there was no fire fighting system for the battery that was burned because it wasn’t recommended.
As an alternative ASPA had two garden hoses and a fire hydrant next to the plant.
But Young said the new outdoor battery to be installed next month, will have a fire system.
Manua Representative Toealii was upset that the ARFF Buuiolding at Ofu Airport did not have a fire truck to help put out the fire.
When contacted this morning Acting Port Director Christopher King said they will issue an official response.
The fire truck in the ARFF building at Ofu was sent to Tutuila some time ago and hasn’t been returned.
