Substation breaker fire near Rhodes College knocks out power to 11,000 in Memphis
EIR-0597Provisional entry. Published from first reports and rechecked automatically as more sources appear. No further update is scheduled; the entry stays provisional until new information is published.
A fire broke out at a substation breaker, described as being about the size of a car, near Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. The fire caused more than 11,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) customers to lose power, including the Memphis Zoo, which closed early as a result. Fire crews extinguished the blaze. MLGW crews then restored the substation bank and switched circuits to restore power to the majority of affected customers by around 6pm the same day. By the following day, MLGW reported that more than 99% of affected customers had power restored. The cause of the fire remained under investigation at the time of reporting.
Not reported. The cause of the substation breaker fire was still under investigation at the time of publication.
- Utilities should maintain the ability to switch circuits between substation banks quickly to minimise outage duration when equipment fails.
- Critical facilities such as zoos and other sites with animal welfare or safety considerations should have contingency plans for unplanned power loss.
- Prompt public communication of outage causes and restoration progress helps manage community impact during unplanned electrical infrastructure failures.
Published 2026-09-09. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.