Generator catches fire at Pasadena power plant

A gas turbine generator at the Glenarm Power Station in Pasadena burst into flames Tuesday morning after it was switched on to meet increased demand for electricity in the city.

There were no injuries and no interruptions in electricity service due to the blaze, said city spokesman William Boyer.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

The turbine near the Metro Gold Line tracks at Glenarm Street and Arroyo Parkway caught fire at 10:18 a.m. as two Pasadena Water & Power workers attempted to activate it.

Trains continued to run while more than two dozen fire fighters from Pasadena, South Pasadena and Alhambra responded to douse the flames, which were contained to a metal building that houses the generator.

The 1975 turbine that caught fire is one of four generators located on the east side of the power plant. A twin generator caught fire in May 2010, Boyer said.

Power officials were trying to generate more electricity to lessen the need for importing power from other sources as usage spiked due to climbing temperatures, he said.

-- Joe Piasecki, Times Community News