The plans were precise: the 84-meter chimney of the former Mad River power plant was supposed to fall to the east. But when the explosives were detonated, the tower wobbled and collapsed to the southeast, surprising everyone present. The 83-year-old structure struck two 12,000-volt power lines and a backup generator building.
Spectators fled in terror as the cables sparked on the ground. Approximately 4,000 customers were left without electricity in the Springfield area, about 42 kilometers northeast of Dayton. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
“We had everything planned. Everything had been analyzed… it caught us all by surprise”, said Tim Suter, manager of external affairs at FirstEnergy. Lisa Kelly, president of the demolition company, noted that an undetected crack on the south side of the tower was the cause of the mistake. “Nobody likes things to go wrong, but sometimes they are unpredictable”, she concluded.
