A blown fuse caused a small fire on a power pole in northwest Baker City Thursday morning, Jan. 12. The fire was quickly doused, and one customer was without power for less than an hour, said Joe Hathaway, communications manager for Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative.

The fire caused minor damage to the pole, and it did not need to be replaced, Hathaway said.

The Baker City Fire Department responded to the fire at 10:25 a.m.

The pole is near 13th and D streets, just east of the railroad. Hathaway said blown fuses on OTEC lines are rare.

The cooperative will inspect the broken equipment to try to determine the cause. Hathaway said it’s possible that the fuse was cracked, and that water from Thursday morning’s rain seeped in.