General Home Automation 4 Fires Strike Apartment Buildings - substation blamed

I thought this would be of interest in view of the discussion a while back
about squirrels and feeder lines issues affecting household AC.  Anyone have
any ideas what caused this and whether single family homes are vulnerable to
substation issues?  If so, why didn't fuses and breakers protect the panels?

--
Bobby G.


4 Fires Strike Apartment Buildings
Electrical Panels Being Checked; Nearly 50 Families Displaced

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/26/AR2007032601
768.html

registration required  )-:

By Candace Rondeaux
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 27, 2007; Page B02

"Hundreds of apartments were without power . . . after four fires damaged
apartment buildings . . . Fire officials determined that all the fires were
accidental and started in electrical paneling in the buildings. Fire
inspectors ordered Pepco to turn off power in the area after tracing a
possible source of the problem to a nearby electrical distribution station,
Brady said. The outage affected about 372 apartment units."