Trevor Bailey, National Maintenance Planner for Aggs, was at home when the power went off.

Whilst all the burglar alarms were blaring he went to the front of his home to check his. He noticed black smoke billowing from a nearby field and he knew there was an 11,000 volt overhead line in the field so he quickly made his way towards the smoke.

He discovered a Tipper lorry on fire under the overhead line (shown in the picture) and he rang the emergency services and a local contact in the Power company.

The Fire Brigade arrived and began hosing down the back wheels of the Tipper lorry. He advised them to retire to a safe distance as there was a possibility the power could be re-energised.

Luckily no-one was hurt.  There were no warning signs visible and due to the high temperature the line had sagged more than usual.

It is worth reminding people about the dangers of overhead lines and the use of warning signs, particularly Tipper and Hiab drivers.  Remember that where people need to pass beneath overhead lines sites should have protection in place in accordance with the HSEs Guidance note for ‘Avoiding Danger from Overhead Power Lines’, which is available via the following link:  http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/gs6.htm