By: Sean Raggio 

Quinnipiac University’s York Hill campus had a busy Thursday afternoon as the Hamden Fire Department responded to a brush fire on one of the access roads leading up the hill.

A tree fell onto a transformer holding the York Hill campus primary power lines, snapping it and leading to power loss to the campus. The campus is now being powered by its backup generators until United Illuminating (UI) can restore the power.

“The power line was still live when we got here,” Engine 5 Captain Greg Bannon said. “That’s why we shut off Old Hill Road, we shut off the access road, just to keep everybody back. Once UI got here and cut the power, now all it is, is just a dead powerline on the ground with a little bit of brush going.”

Primary power lines down on @QuinnipiacU York Hill Campus. Small brush fire, no threat to structures. @UnitedIllum on the way. @Q30News #Hamden pic.twitter.com/aybQNQCmLb

— Hamden Fire Dept (@HamdenFireDept) April 5, 2018

There was no immediate danger to the students and faculty on the York Hill Campus as the downed power line was neither close to any buildings nor residence halls.

There is no estimate as to when primary power will be restored to the campus, as UI can’t operate until the tree is off the transformer.

“Right now [UI’s] just waiting for a tree crew,” Bannon said. “Where the tree is leaning up against the pole, we’re just waiting for them to come and cut that piece of tree away because it’s still smoldering up there and then we’ll hit it with a little bit of water and that’s done.”

After this article was written the situation was resolved.

Around 4:00 P.M. today the tree was removed and around 6:30 P.M. full power was restored to the York Hill campus.