Transformer fire cuts power in East New York amid cold
2026Published 9 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Urban neighbourhood in the United States
- What
- Transformer fire cut power to several hundred customers
- Cause
- Not reported
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Con Edison
What happened
A transformer fire in East New York, Brooklyn, left residents without power overnight during bitter cold. Firefighters were called just after 7:30 p.m. to Shepherd Avenue near Linden Boulevard and Hegeman Avenue for reports of burning wires and a smoking transformer. Crews stood by while Con Edison isolated the damaged equipment and began repairs. Con Edison's outage map showed more than 1,500 customers without power across Brooklyn, including about 300 near Shepherd Avenue.
Temperatures were in the teens, and neighbours reported no lights and no heat. Con Edison estimated that power in the Shepherd Avenue area could be restored by around 7 a.m., though that time could change. The cause of the outage was still under investigation. Utility officials said extreme cold may have been contributing to outages reported across the borough.
Contributing factors
The cause has not been reported. Extreme cold was cited as a possible contributor to outages across Brooklyn, not as a confirmed cause of this fire.
Lessons learned
- Keep a clear procedure for isolating damaged grid equipment while emergency crews stand by.
- Give the public a restoration estimate for the affected area, and say when that time may change, especially in extreme cold.
- Point residents without heat or power to warming centres and other public resources while repairs continue.
More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Emergency response details and duration
- Any injuries or equipment damage extent
- Outage duration and whether utility or private
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-09. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
