A blown transformer caused a fire just outside the premises of the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) in New Kingston on Thursday, resulting in a power outage and workers having to evacuate the offices.

A video obtained by Observer Online shows workers gathering on the outside of the building while firefighters made their way to remedy the situation.

Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Stewart Beckford said firefighters were alerted to the incident around two in the afternoon. He said it was reported that Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) workers had been conducting maintenance work on generators when the incident happened.

“What was reported to me by the office on the ground is that they were doing some work in regards to a generator and apparently there was some feedback to the main breaker on the building which caused the transformer outside to chip resulting in a fire which eventually burned itself out once the power was turned off by JPS,” explained Beckford.

Director of Corporate Communications at Jamaica Public Service, Winsome Callum sought to clarify the cause of the fire, stating “workmen were doing excavation work to facilitate the installation of a generator on the premises of the Accountant General’s Department.

“During the excavation, an underground electrical cable was damaged, causing the fuses that protect the transformer serving the premises to blow (from all indications, the system’s protection mechanism operated as designed). This resulted in loss of power to the AG’s Department and other buildings close by,” Callum said, adding “JPS urges persons doing excavation work to always use the blueprint of underground cable routes as a guide in order to avoid damaging the electrical infrastructure.”

In the meantime, Beckford confirmed that “all 132 staff members have been accounted for”.

“They remain on the outside having been evacuated from the building. At this time, there is no electric power on the building,” Beckford said. “Currently, the JPS co-workmen and the fire brigade firefighters are doing a walk-through. We are also taking steps to ventilate the building to make sure that smoke gets out of the building.”