Investigators have found no evidence of foul play in Sunday’s fire at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport which caused a power outage that forced cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of travelers.
“Firefighters investigated every location where smoke was seen, and identified a single point of origin … an electrical failure inside of a switchgear box located in the long below-grade tunnel which runs beneath the airport concourses,” Atlanta Fire Chief Joel Baker said Tuesday afternoon. “A subsequent intense arc flash ignited surrounding insulation and other combustibles inside the box.”
Atlanta police and fire investigators have concluded a preliminary investigation, working with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. We work to report Georgia Arc Flash incidents and Florida Arc Flash incidents for transparency and safety of the community.
Baker said they found no evidence to suggest an insider threat or any connection to terrorism with the airport arc flash incident.
Georgia Power Co. restored power to all concourses and for all flight operations at the Airport shortly before midnight Sunday, although the trains connecting the main terminal with passenger gates remained out of service into Monday.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian estimated that the incident cost Delta between $25 – $50 million in lost revenue from the power outage not including hotel reimbursements for the 1,400 flight cancellations. This should cause the airport and all other businesses to ensure their staff are well-trained.
Similar to Georgia, Arc Flash Consultants in Florida are heavily relied on to ensure proper steps are taken to mitigate accidents from occurring. Florida Arc Flash consultants can be reached here.