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Fairgrounds director warns of "near miss" after concession-stand electrical failure
Summary
Park County Fairgrounds staff reported an electrical near miss in the Exhibit Building concession stand that will likely require an insurance claim and a full system replacement estimated at $30,000'$50,000; the director said the system is over 50 years old and presents a safety risk.
Park County Fairgrounds Director Morgan Squires said the concession stand at the Exhibit Building suffered an electrical failure that an electrician found to be severe enough to trigger an insurance claim and a likely full replacement.
"When the electrician showed up to look at it at about 09:30, he said it was glowing red when he pulled off the front cover, and it was smoking," Squires said. She told the board the electrical setup is dated, with roughly "675 amps of current going through a single current transformer box," no obvious main shutoff for some services, and that the system is more than 50 years old. Squires said preliminary replacement estimates are "probably gonna be between 30 to $50,000," though she added an exact figure is not yet available because multiple services are tied together.
Squires said the electrician was able to disconnect live wires and avert a larger fire, and she described the incident as a "near miss" that highlights a broader maintenance backlog at the fairgrounds. Board members and staff discussed performing annual safety checks, locking access panels to prevent non-electricians from opening them during events, and commissioning targeted electrical inspections in high-use areas.
The director said an insurance claim is likely and emphasized the need to bring the system up to code before future large events. "It's one of those few rare times when insurance isn't good," one board member said, urging the board to plan for an electrician-led audit of panels and services. No formal budget appropriation was made at the meeting; Squires said work on an estimate and a claim will proceed and be reported back to the board.
