Exclusive Photos: Fire to the NodeExclusive Photos: Fire to the Node

While AT&T continues looking into the cause of its Houston equipment incident, Light Reading has obtained exclusive photos of the telco cabinet wreckage before the charred equipment was removed from its concrete pedestal and taken back to AT&T for investigation. (See AT&T Eyes Batteries in Explosion Probe.)

These photos, obtained by sources close to the investigation, give a clearer view of just how powerful the initial blast was -- and how hot the fire burned as it incinerated the equipment.

— Phil Harvey, Managing Editor, Light Reading

What's Missing From This Picture?Here's a photo we originally ran last year. The next photo shows
what was cleaned up before our photographer arrived.The Remains of the DayWhat you see here are the remains of an Alcatel FTTN equipment cabinet,
the kind AT&T typically deploys to deliver its U-verse service.What's Missing, Part IIHere's our original photo, showing the charred concrete pedestal, where the equipment once stood.DSLAM DestroyedHere's the mess that was carted off shortly after the fire was put out.A Closer LookAnother closeup shows the metal cabinet didn't stand a chance against
the force of the explosion and the heat of the fire that consumed it.Greenfield = Brown GrassFrom our archives, here's what an Alcatel 7330 FTTN cabinet looks like when it's not all blow'd up.Assault & BatteryBack to the Houston DSLAM cabinet, here's a close look at the battery compartment. And You Thought Beige Cabinets Were UglyAnother view of the charred mess from October 2006.FansGreat for cooling. Not so much for fire extinguishing.What's Missing, Part IIIHere's the original view of the damaged house we first published in November 2006.TwistedHere's the metal wreck that was removed before we had a chance to see the explosion scene firsthand.More UglinessAnother view of the burnt equipment cabinet -- the one that AT&T is picking apart in its labs.Fencing, Part IHere's the view of the repaired fence we showed you back in November 2006.Fencing, Part IIHere's what AT&T saw as it rolled up to the scene of the explosion. Imagine if that hunk of fence
had been some old cougar weeding her garden. Would have left a mark, no?Fencing, Part IIIAnother view of the fence, this one gives a sense of how far away
the shrapnel had to fly in order to bust through the gate.Clean Up, Aisle 8200Looks like your DSLAM just threw up.Side View, Part IHere's the side view we first showed, with burn marks on the power pedestal.Side View, Part IIHere's what our initial report missed -- quite a lot actually.
Gives new meaning to the phrase, "Blowing the doors off expectations."