Transformer fire at Egat station causes blackout across Phetchaburi city

What happened

A large transformer caught fire inside the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) distribution station on Phetkasem Road in Muang district, Phetchaburi, at around 7.27am. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky and the blaze caused a widespread power outage affecting households, government offices, hospitals, the Provincial Waterworks Authority, department stores, shops and local markets across the city. Firefighters from Phetchaburi's Muang municipality and nearby tambon administration organisations were deployed and took more than 40 minutes to bring the fire under control.

Officials said the fire caused extensive damage to equipment at the station, rendering the power distribution system inoperable. Electricians from the Provincial Electricity Authority worked to reroute electricity from alternative sources, and power was gradually restored to affected areas by 9am. The cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the transformer fire was under investigation at the time of publication.

Lessons learned

1. Transformer fire at a distribution station can disable the entire local grid, so operators should install fire walls and automatic isolation between units.
2. Black smoke from a transformer fire spreads quickly, so stations near urban areas need early smoke detection linked to rapid shutdown.
3. Rerouting from alternative sources can limit outage length after a transformer failure, so planners should maintain tested backup paths.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, detection and monitoring, outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Transformer model and age
• Cost of damage and repairs
• Exact length of full blackout for each area

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

Source

bangkokpost.com