Emergency services were called to Street on Wednesday morning after an electricity pole at the junction of Stonehill and Blenheim Road started arcing.

Electrical arcing is when electrical current jumps a gap in a circuit or between two electrodes (conductors of electricity). You may be familiar with this activity from the classic science experiment – Jacob's Ladder. 

However, arcing can produce an arc flash where the electricity flows or discharges along an unintended path. These flashes ignite with particulates in the environment, which can be anything from dust to gas. The arcs can exceed over 5,538 degrees C and can often cause electrical fires.

A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said they sent two crews to the scene, closing off Stonehill and condoning off the area for safety while teams from National Grid carried out urgent repairs.

The road was re-opened just after 10am.