For the third time in two months in Flagler Beach a contractor struck an underground utility line today, this time near the Flagler Beach pier, causing a minor fire, shutting down traffic on State Road A1A, and cutting off power to both the Funky Pelican and Surf 97.3, Flagler Beach’s radio station, which operates from the pier. Both businesses had to close for the rest of the day and evening.
Flagler Beach firefighters were dispatched to the scene some 10 to 15 yards south of the pier’s A-Frame at 2:21. Contractors working on the pier demolition and reconstruction project were drilling in a huge beam at that location on the dune line.
“They ended up hitting a powerline,” Flagler Beach Fire Chief Stephen Cox said. “When they hit that powerline it obviously caused a reaction and caught on fire and did its thing until it had nothing else to burn and put itself out. The area was energized, we needed FPL to get out there and cut the power off and mitigate it.”
No one was hurt. “I’m just extremely grateful that no one got hurt,” City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur said. “480 volts could have killed multiple people.”
Vern Shank, known as DJ Vern, was on the air with his Surfin’ Vern Show–the radio station is on the pier–and had just started playing “Joy to the World” (Three Dog Night song) when “it started rumbling,” he said. “I could feel vibration-type things because I think they were hammering it in. In fact something fell off my top shelf,” a cup holding pens and pencils. “Out of the corner of my left eye I saw our production computer, like wavy lines all over it, like a power surge kind of deal, and all of a sudden there was a huge boom, like a pop, and then everything went off except for what was on a little battery back-up.” The station was off the air and off the internet, where it gets a good deal of its audience.
Smoke came out of the station’s mixing board. Shank ran out and went to one of the contractors, whose office is on the pier. He didn’t know what had just happened, or that the power was off. “Did you guys hit something?” Shank asked him, “because all the power is off.” Within a minute smoke started pouring out of the hole where the beam was being drilled. Funky pelican employees came outside. Shank called 911. Moments later, Cox and his crew appeared.
Workers had also reported to Cox what sounded like an explosion when the beam hit the line. The casing around the line burned, spewing out a lot of smoke. “It got so hot that it ended up basically almost severing the line,” the fire chief said.
Vecellio and Grogan, the contractor in charge of the pier demolition and reconstruction, began work on the 18-month, $16 million in early July. The beam was part of the first phase of the project. It entails building a trestle alongside the pier before demolition can begin, with enormous beams meant to support the weight of heavy equipment once the trestle is built.
Twice in May, contractors working for Metronet, the high-speed internet company, struck water lines along State Road 100 on the mainland in Flagler Beach, cutting off water to many customers. The two incidents led city commissioners to complain about contractors not reading maps sufficiently to prevent that sort of problem. It is not yet clear who was at fault for either not requesting or not properly reading maps of underground infrastructure before drilling.
FPL dispatched several units to the scene to repair the line. At 6:15 p.m., Shank drove back down to the station. Much of the caution tape had been removed from the radio station entrance (but not the bathrooms). He went to his station and noticed the power still off. He could not determine whether his equipment had been damaged. “It’s a waiting game. I guess I’ll come back tomorrow,” he said.
The Funky Pelican was deserted. The workers on the pier project had all gone for the night.
The power line’s service is restricted to the pier, so no customers on the west side of A1A were affected. But traffic on A1A in both directions was diverted between South 2nd and South 4th shortly after 2:20 and until 5:15 p.m. A Flagler County Fire Rescue unit (45) stood by but was not needed during the incident.
FlaPharmTech says
Unbelievable. Glad no injuries.
M&M says
What rules does Flagler County have for anyone that digs deeper than 18″? They are unaware of or lack a standard.
Combination of Electromagnetic Locators, 811 surveys, and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
Daily, weekly, or monthly.
Results of work done by approved contractors are documented. Show us the cash!
It should also be public knowledge and record.
Tell the date stamp on the most recent recording in Flagler Beach. We will request all records with contractor information for the pier project.
Flagler Beach, your incapacity is causing your businesses to fail.
Joe says
Whos building this thing ron’s political donors?
Tina Olive says
Did they not call 811????? CALL BEFORE YOU DIG…..There’s probably all kinds of stuff buried there……This is not starting out very well….
JimboXYZ says
SMH, that face palm moment ? One has to wonder, why the earth wasn’t/isn’t marked for underground wiring in the photo ?
Flagler Beach Clown Show says
Where are the fines?
1st offense – $10,000
2nd offense – $35,000
3rd – $75,000 and GONE!
You or I would be in DEEP TROUBLE, never able to dig again.
Pogo says
@Good luck
… with the Google cabl . . .
Have a seat, the devil will see you when your number is called.
Jay Tomm says
LOL I was there Tuesday evening. Ate at FP, took a few pics, walked down the walk.
Tony says
Metronet also severed or damaged line along Old Kings Road North in Palm Coast last year. Even the Three Stooges were not this bad with their construction projects.
A Concerned Observer says
When I was with a previous employer, everyone digging anywhere had to file for a digging permit. All utilities were informed and were responsible to locate any of their buried utilities. Once all of the utility companies responded and confirmed that they had no underground utilities in the requested location or any utilities were located and marked the contractor was allowed to dig. Only one request to each location for a digging permit was required by the contractor and all utility companies were notified by the office notified by the responsible City, County to have them marked.
Should any contractor damage any utilities where no digging permit was requested and approved, or any digging in the marked area where there were any costs for damage, loss of service or injury resulting from their irresponsible digging in the marked area, they were responsible for any costs levied upon them. No questions, no excuses, no recourse but to pay the bill. As long as a contractor satisfied these requirements, and there was any damage to any unidentified or improperly marked utilities, they were not responsible for any damage or injuries.
Costs for unapproved digging can get extremely expensive, but under this plan, all costs for repair, injuries, loss of service by any company or persons and resulting litigation are the responsibility of the offender and no work of any kind can be started by the offending contractor until all debts are paid.
I would be very surprised if such a policy was not in place in Flagler County.
Surfgod says
It was a “mostly peaceful” fire, what’s the big deal?