Frayed wires and frayed nerves

Snapping power lines blamed for rash of electrical fires

By: Cara Latham
   UPPER FREEHOLD — Every time inclement weather is in the forecast, residents on Route 524 run outside and turn the main power off to their houses.
   That’s because for the past six to eight months, numerous fires have occurred after high voltage power lines along the road snapped, which have affected at least seven families and were responsible for the burning of a house and a barn on separate occasions, neighbors on the road said.
   Maureen Nevins, who lives on Route 524, lost her barn in February when an electrical fire broke out as a result of snapped wires. But she said her problem is getting the power company, Jersey Central Power and Light, to respond and address the electrical problem is what is making her house unsafe for her family.
   When the fire broke out, four different fire stations responded, but it took JCP&L four hours to arrive, she said.
   "All we did was watch the barn burn down because it was electrical and there was nothing" the firefighters could do until JCP&L arrived, she said.
   The power lines, which are carried by a utility pole, are located about 50 feet from her house. The lines run along the property lines of residents and are located within 20 feet of some of her neighbor’s houses, while other houses are set back from the road and are about 100 feet away from the lines, Ms. Nevins said.
   Ron Morano, a spokesman for JCP&L, said the company has already responded to the Nevins’ claims and discussed the situation with them and with the parties involved.
   When her barn caught fire in February, Ms. Nevins said, JCP&L told her it was because of a snow storm. But the wires caught fire around 2 a.m., before the snow starting falling, she said.
   "It wasn’t because of the weather," she said. "The wire snapped. It wasn’t at one particular pole. It wasn’t a box. (The) 11,000-volt wire just (snapped)," she said, adding that "they keep telling us (the fires are a result of) the acts of God. It’s crazy. They’re just unacceptable reasons why these things are happening."
   Ms. Nevins’ 8-year-old daughter, Madison, was scared after the barn fire and wanted to be assured it wouldn’t happen again, she said. Much to the family’s dismay, it did. Two weeks after the original fire, during a period of light wind, the two wires that JCP&L had worked on snapped again. After that incident, JCP&L replaced the wires, she said.
   "I’m up all night because I’m so worried about what’s going to happen to my family," she said, adding that her daughters become frightened even when a little rain is in the forecast. "It’s not normal."
   After not seeing any significant results and after months of dealing with the fires, the residents approached the Township Committee at its Aug. 17 meeting, where they told their stories, and asked them to get involved, said Ms. Nevins.
   "We essentially recommended to have our fire marshals and expert engineers to go out there and review and inspect the power stations that the power is generated from, and report back to us to make sure it’s safe for the residents and if it needs any kind of repair," said Committeeman Stephen Alexander.
   Mr. Alexander added that the township sent a letter the day after the meeting to JCP&L about the Township Committee’s recommendations. He said that in a hypothetical situation, if something were wrong, he would assume the next step would be to talk to the township attorney to see what could be done. But, he thinks that JCP&L are "good neighbors, and certainly will do what’s necessary to protect the residents of the town," he said.
   The most recent fire occurred on July 22, when a neighboring house belonging to Amy Catelli was severely damaged from a fire that resulted from snapped wires. Ms. Catelli is unable to live in her house until the house can be repaired — which could be as long as nine months, Ms. Nevins said.
   Barbara Falconio, who also lives on the road, said the electrical fire that occurred in July burned the meter off the side of her house.
   "That day, there was seven hits, one right after another in a three-mile stretch," she said. "There’s not enough surge protectors on the poles, I don’t think. I don’t know how it can hop, skip and jump for three miles."
   But Ms. Falconio said JCP&L placed a reclosure (a switch that operates like a circuit breaker and restores the circuit automatically after a temporary fault) on the wires near a Cox’s Corner substation last week.
   Mr. Morano, the JCP&L spokesman, said a reclosure "minimizes the extent of the outage."
   However, Ms. Falconio had to replace a television and was without a phone for eight days, she said. Her electric bill also rose from $215 to $370 in one month, and she keeps asking JCP&L if the increase was a result of 7,200 volts hitting the meter, but hasn’t gotten any response, she said. She said she knew she used the air conditioning more often, but that she just got her bill and it was still $365, during a period of time when she did not use the air conditioning as much.
   Ms. Falconio said she is three electrical poles away from the substation and can hear the noise that it makes in the summer time when there is no inclement weather.
   In response to the July fire, Ms. Falconio said JCP&L told her that "it was lightning, but we had no lightning that night here, so I don’t know where it started."
   "My main concern is that whether there is a little wind or a little rain … there’s an electrical problem," Ms. Nevins said.
   Mr. Morano said the July 22 fire was attributed to lightning strikes.
   He also said that the company has talked to Ms. Catelli regarding the July 22 incident, and that "we have worked to address her concerns, number one of those being safety." He also said that the company is still addressing all of the customers’ concerns.
   "Safety is of paramount concern to JCP&L," he said. "We work to ensure the safety of the public under all circumstances."
   Mr. Morano said the company is "continuing to work in this particular area, and we’ll continue to update the customers in the area, as well as the municipal officials."
   When asked about the frequency of the fires, he said that JCP&L "investigated the customers’ claims and is continuing to research and respond to them."
   He also said that some of the residents are raising concerns about poles in the area, but that some of them belong to companies other than JCP&L.
   For now, both Ms. Nevins and Ms. Falconio said they are waiting to see what JCP&L is going to do. Ms. Nevins said a group of about seven residents have joined together and gotten an attorney, Jennifer Burgess, with whom they will be meeting shortly to discuss pursuing legal action against the company.
   "I just want JCP&L to do what’s right, no matter how much money that costs them," Ms. Nevins said. "No amount of money can replace a life." She added that "we want them to change whatever boxes they need to change," and that her main concern is safety.
   "We need to feel safe there, and we’re not safe there," she said. However, she is optimistic that things will change as the Township Committee puts pressure on JCP&L.
   "I think JCP&L is finally going to step up to the plate," she said. "I think things are going in the right direction."