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Grid infrastructureUnited KingdomEIR-0387

Substation explosion on Gloucester Close cuts power in Chippenham

Jan 2026Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectricalProvisional
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 on Gloucester Close, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Operator
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSE)
What
Substation caught fire and exploded shortly after 6pm
Response
Two fire crews attended for at least two hours
Cause
Not reported

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

What happened

A substation on Gloucester Close in the Queens Crescent area of Chippenham, Wiltshire, caught fire and exploded shortly after 6pm on 6 January 2026. At least one explosion was heard as the fire broke out, knocking out power to hundreds of homes in the town. Two fire crews, from Chippenham and Corsham, attended and remained on scene for at least two hours, also accessing a nearby garden to prevent the fire spreading to a house.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSE) engineers attended to resolve the fault. Power was restored to most properties within a few hours, though around 80 homes remained without electricity into the evening, with restoration expected by 11pm the same day.

Contributing factors

Not reported.

Lessons learned

  1. A substation fire near houses needs quick access to adjacent land to stop spread to property.
  2. Engineers must isolate faults fast after an explosion to limit outage duration for hundreds of customers.
  3. Fire crews and network teams need joint plans to manage both fire containment and supply restoration.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, electrical protection and isolation, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire and explosion
  • Substation equipment model and age
  • Exact cost of damage and repairs

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

Source

wiltshire999s.co.uk

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

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