A section of London Road near Lambton Mall reopened over the noon hour Tuesday after a hydro pole fire overnight.
Bluewater Power crews were on scene making repairs after the blaze knocked out power to over 2,000 homes and businesses just before 2 a.m.
Utility President and CEO Janice McMichael-Dennis said conditions Monday night were favourable for sparking the fire.
"You don't think of a misty rain normally causing concerns," said McMichael-Dennis. "But, when a misty rain happens as the first rain after a winter, it creates favourable conditions for what is called tracking. So, an insulator has failed because of that misty rain and because there's still salt left on the pole. So you have salt coming up from winter, you have the rain which aided it and as a result an insulator track. What happens there is then the pole sets on fire."
Power was fully restored to two London Road plazas, Bains BBQ and International Plaza, at around 12:15 p.m.
Here's a short video of a hydro pole catching fire on London Rd. Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/jngwIGOjwJ
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