Tungatinah Power Station fire causes outages in Tasmania

A major fire at the Tungatinah hydroelectric power station in Tarraleah, located in Tasmania's Central Highlands, has caused significant damage and left hundreds of residents without electricity. The 142.2 megawatt facility, which is one of 11 hydroelectric stations in the state, was gutted by the blaze, which broke out before 9:00 PM on Wednesday.

Approximately 300 customers in Bonnie Lake, Tarraleah, and Dee Lagoon are currently experiencing power outages. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff stated that while the fire is contained, the damage is significant and restoring power may take some time.

Emergency responders faced challenges due to the facility's electrical infrastructure and a partial building collapse that made entry unsafe. Hydro Tasmania CEO Rachel Watson confirmed the station is remotely operated and no one was on-site when the fire occurred. Investigators and detectives are working to determine the cause of the blaze.