Transformer fire at London substation triggers major incident and evacuations

What happened

An electrical transformer caught fire at a substation on Aberdeen Place in Maida Vale, west London, in the early hours of the morning. The operator, UK Power Networks, said the cause was a fault on a piece of equipment within the substation. Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters from London Fire Brigade attended, using a 32 metre turntable ladder and foam suppression to tackle the blaze. Part of the roof of a nearby residential block also caught alight.

Around 80 to 100 residents, including elderly and vulnerable people, were evacuated from nearby flats to a community centre. London Fire Brigade declared a major incident due to the fire affecting high profile infrastructure and nearby residential buildings, standing it down later the same morning. No injuries were reported and electricity supplies to customers were not interrupted.

Contributing factors

UK Power Networks attributed the fire to a fault on a piece of equipment within the substation, describing it as an isolated incident.

Lessons learned

1. A fault on substation equipment can start a transformer fire that spreads to nearby roofs, so operators should verify fire separation distances and barriers around grid assets.
2. Transformer fires at urban substations need foam and high-reach ladders, so response plans must include access routes and multi-agency coordination near homes.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact piece of equipment that faulted
• Transformer model and age
• Cost of damage and response

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

Source

The Independent (independent.co.uk)