Arcing on top of a power pole in Dunedin last night cut power to 580 customers.
The incident on Ravensbourne Rd, near the intersection with De Lacy St, is the latest of a number of faults in Aurora Energy's under-fire network in the past two weeks.
A Delta spokesman told the ODT this afternoon that power was interrupted briefly to 580 customers in the Ravensbourne and St Leonards area for up eight minutes just before 9.30pm yesterday.
He said the company could not comment on the cause of the fault, as it was still investigating.
"We apologise for the inconvenience to customers affected.''
As a result of the arcing, firefighters cordoned off a footpath and slowed traffic on State Highway 88, the main road to Port Chalmers.
Ravensbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Jason Bryant said it was called at 8.25pm after a witness saw arcing on a switch, used to isolate faults, on top of the pole.
The footpath was blocked off as a precaution because the crib wall next to it was made of metal and could have been electrified if a line came down.
Whistleblower Richard Healey says firefighters were right to cordon off the area as the failed switch which caused the arcing could have exploded, causing a fireball.
The failed switch was one of more than 30 on the network and likely started arcing either because it was poorly installed or not properly maintained, Mr Healey said.
