Transformer station fire cuts power to thousands in Red Bluff, California
Apr 2025Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Reynolds Consumer Products property, southern Red Bluff, California
- What
- Transformer caught fire at station
- Response
- Cal Fire Tehama-Glenn responded to the scene
- Cause
- Not reported
- Outcome
- PG&E restored power within about two hours
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What happened
On a Saturday night in April 2025, a transformer caught fire at a station located on the Reynolds Consumer Products property in the southern part of Red Bluff, California. The fire produced a bright blue glow visible across the night sky and was witnessed by local residents. The incident caused nearly 7,000 PG&E customers to lose power, including attendees at the Red Bluff Round-Up, whose Saturday night concert was forced to shut down mid event.
Cal Fire Tehama-Glenn responded to the scene. PG&E restored power to the affected area within about two hours. The Red Bluff Round-Up was able to resume its final show the following day without further disruption.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The cause of the transformer fire was not stated by the source.
Lessons learned
- Transformer fire at a station cut supply to nearly 7000 customers, so operators should check protection settings and backup feeds for similar sites.
- Fire at grid infrastructure near an event halted a concert, so planners should map nearby stations and rehearse power loss procedures.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, worker safety and safe systems of work, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the transformer fire
- Transformer model and age
- Cost of the damage
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
