Lightning strike sparks fire at PGE substation in Cornelius, Oregon
July 2026Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- PGE substation in Cornelius, Washington County
- Operator
- Portland General Electric (PGE)
- What
- Fire broke out at substation equipment
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Lightning storm struck or affected substation equipment
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Portland General Electric
What happened
Overnight lightning storms sweeping western Oregon caused a fire to break out at a Portland General Electric (PGE) substation in Cornelius, Washington County. Firefighters from the Cornelius Fire Department responded early on 16 July after reports that a piece of substation equipment was on fire. The fire had the potential to disrupt power in the western Washington County areas of Gales Creek and Banks. As of 7:30am, PGE reported 18 active outages affecting approximately 3,300 customers, mostly in western Washington County.
The Banks School District closed for the day because power was out at its facilities. No injuries were reported. The story was described by the outlet as developing at time of publication.
Contributing factors
A lightning storm passing through the region struck or affected substation equipment, igniting a fire.
Lessons learned
- Substation equipment exposed to lightning needs working surge protection and arrestors. Operators should inspect these before storm seasons.
- A fire at substation equipment can affect nearby power supply. Utilities need rapid response plans with local fire services.
More lessons on weather and external hazards, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Which piece of substation equipment caught fire
- Duration and total cost of the outages
- Extent of damage to the substation
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
