Article: Faulty electrical transformer may have caused fire

Like giant funnels, electrical transformers have one primary function: taking lots of power and distributing smaller, more usable streams of electrical currents to run everything from computers to elevators.

Transformers malfunction for many reasons, officials and electrical experts say.

Officials said it appeared that the fire yesterday was caused by an electrical transformer. The initial fire alarm indicated the fire was caused by "transformer fluid," Mayor Menino said on City Hall Plaza.

Boston Fire Commissioner Martin Pierce said the fire caused toxic smoke and fumes.

"There were flames in the area and they kept flaring up" until it was doused, he said.

Michael Monahan, an Edison ...

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