On March 4th at around 8:30 in the evening many residents in Fergus Falls reported hearing a loud boom and seeing a bright flash or orange glow.
Fergus Falls Fire Chief Ryan Muchow stated that the fire department did not receive any calls during that time.
Fergus Falls Police Sgt. Abram Silbernagel said that there were two possible explanations for the sound.
One person reported hearing a loud bang around 8:27 p.m. near the Silver Leaf apartments, and officers found a flashing red light attached to a power pole on Mt. Faith Avenue.
They believed that a blown transformer caused the noise and informed Otter Tail Power, however, Ottertail Power confirmed later that it was not related to the power grid.
Silbernagel also mentioned that a firework could have caused the noise, but the police department was not aware of any reports of power outages.
One officer witnessed a flash of light in the sky followed by a boom near Friberg and Summit Avenues.
Silbernagel speculated that the sound could have been a blown transformer, which can make a loud noise, or a firework.
Otter Tail Power Company Communications Manager Rebecca Michael confirmed that the noise was not related to their infrastructure.
Their crews did not find any damage or issues in the area, and customers did not experience any power outages.
Similar loud booms have been reported across the country, with some being attributed to “frost quakes” caused by extreme weather in the Midwest and eastern seaboard.
Customers can find outage-related information at otpco.com/outages and report outages by calling 800-257-4044 or 218-739-8877.