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

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.

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

1. Overhead lines feeding substations should be regularly inspected for wear or damage that could lead to failure.
2. Vegetation and brush near substations and feeder lines should be managed to reduce the risk of fire from electrical arcing.
3. Clear outage communication and rapid fault isolation can significantly limit the duration of customer power loss.

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