UPDATE: Transformer fire leaves Dartmouth residents in the dark, closes three schools

HALIFAX – Nearly 2,500 households in Dartmouth are without power after a transformer caught fire.

Just after 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a transformer at the corner of Brule Street and Pinecrest Drive broke out into flames.

A spokesperson for Halifax Fire said that high winds are responsible for the small blaze, which was still smoldering around 7:30 a.m. but has since been completely extinguished.

Halifax police are blocking off several streets as a precaution.

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Nova Scotia Power is on scene and have isolated the power source.

Street lamps and traffic lights are also out in the area.

Drivers should proceed with caution and treat the intersections as four way stops.

The Halifax Regional School Board said that John Martin Junior High, Harbour View Elementary and the Dartmouth site of the Flexible Learning and Education Centres are closed Wednesday because of the outage.

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