Fire damages transformers at Wadeville 2nd Input substation, Ekurhuleni
EIR-0352A fire broke out at the Wadeville 2nd Input Substation, operated by the City of Ekurhuleni, on 31 January 2026. The blaze damaged two 15 MVA transformers, while a third transformer at the site was unaffected. City technicians were dispatched to stabilise the network and began working around the clock to repair the damage. The substation remained out of service for almost three weeks, causing widespread power outages across Wadeville, Albemarle, Castleview, Dinwiddie, Phumula, Mapleton Ex 10, Buhle Park, Rondebult, Roodekop and surrounding industrial and residential areas. Priority for restoration was given to industrial and business customers supplied through nearby substations due to their economic importance. Power was partially restored on 5 February but had to be switched off again after batteries failed to reach full charge. A local business group assisted the municipality by arranging a crane to help replace a transformer and contributing towards costs of the crane and component manufacturing.
The cause of the fire was not reported in the source. The substation was also undergoing an upgrade to increase capacity, though it is not stated whether this was related to the fire.
- Extended transformer outages at substations serving industrial and business clusters can cause significant economic disruption, underscoring the value of redundancy and rapid-response repair capacity.
- Restoration timelines can be delayed by secondary issues, such as batteries not reaching full charge, highlighting the need for thorough system checks before re-energising.
- Collaboration between utilities and local business or community groups, for example through cost-sharing on cranes or components, can help accelerate recovery from major outages.
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.