Fire at Cydna substation cuts power to parts of Sandton, Johannesburg
Sept 2025Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Cydna substation in Johannesburg
- Operator
- City Power
- What
- Fire broke out at substation
- Cause
- Attempted theft of copper cables
- Outcome
- Power cut to parts of Sandton for multiple days
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): City Power
What happened
A fire broke out at the Cydna substation operated by City Power, cutting electricity supply to parts of Sandton and surrounding areas including Melrose, Illovo and Houghton in Johannesburg. The utility said the fire was preliminarily believed to have been caused by an attempted theft of copper cables at the substation. Repair crews worked over several days to restore supply, with City Power targeting restoration by Sunday evening, days after the fire started on the preceding Thursday.
Police and law enforcement were informed of the suspected theft and vandalism, and an investigation was launched to identify those responsible. The outage affected residents and businesses in the affected suburbs for multiple days while repairs were carried out.
Contributing factors
City Power stated the fire was preliminarily attributed to attempted theft of copper cables at the substation, described by the utility as vandalism and theft.
Lessons learned
- Copper cable theft at substations can start fires that cut supply to large areas, so operators should fit secure cable enclosures and intrusion detection.
- Repair work after substation fires takes several days, so utilities need spare parts and crews ready for rapid response.
More lessons on theft, arson and site security, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the fire
- Cost of repairs and downtime
- Substation equipment damaged
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Sandton
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
