Fire Follows Blast at San Onofre

An electrical transformer blew out with a loud blast at the nuclear power plant here but caused no power interruptions, a Southern California Edison Co. spokesman said Monday.

The transformer, which was outside the protected area of the plant, caught fire about 1 p.m., said Joseph McDonough, an SCE spokesman. Oil inside the transformer caught fire and caused a thick plume of smoke, he said.

“There was no danger of any kind of leakage or radiation or any of that type of danger,” McDonough said.

Nearby beach users complained of hearing a loud explosion at the nuclear power plant, and then became worried after seeing black smoke rising from the area.

The fire was quickly put out by the company’s on-site firefighters, McDonough said.

There was no dollar estimate of damage.