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Grid infrastructureUnited StatesEIR-0259

Substation fire cuts power to over 4,000 residents in New Albany, Indiana

June 2026Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectrical
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Substation near Kenzig Road and Paoli Pike in New Albany, Indiana
Operator
Duke Energy
What
Fire after overhead line broke and arced, igniting brush
Injuries
None reported
Response
Firefighters had fire under control by noon

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Duke Energy

What happened

A fire broke out at a Duke Energy substation near Kenzig Road and Paoli Pike in New Albany, Indiana, at around 11:30 a.m. City officials said a large electrical line supplying the substation broke and fell to the ground, producing several large electrical arcs that ignited a brush fire in the surrounding area. Several employees were working nearby when the line fell but were not injured. Firefighters responded and had the fire under control by around noon. Outage maps showed more than 4,000 customers without power in the area at the time. Utility crews restored power to all affected customers by 3:45 p.m. the same day.

Contributing factors

A broken overhead electrical line supplying the substation caused arcing that ignited nearby brush.

Lessons learned

  1. Overhead lines feeding substations must be inspected for wear, as a break can drop the conductor and create arcs that start fires.
  2. Brush and vegetation near substations and feeder lines should be cleared, since arcing from a fallen line can ignite dry material.
  3. Rapid fault isolation and clear outage updates limit customer impact, as power was back for all 4,000 by mid afternoon.

More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, outages, backup supply and restoration, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Age and model of the failed line
  • Exact cause of the line break
  • Cost of damage and repairs

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

wlky.com

Other entries that name Albany

Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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